1 sulk | Definition of sulk

sulk

verb
\ ˈsəlk How to pronounce sulk (audio) \
sulked; sulking; sulks

Definition of sulk

 (Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to be moodily silent

sulk

noun

Definition of sulk (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the state of one sulking often used in plural had a case of the sulks
2 : a sulky mood or spell in a sulk

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Synonyms for sulk

Synonyms: Verb

grump, mope, pout

Synonyms: Noun

grouch, hump [British], pet, pouts, snit, sulkiness, sullenness

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Examples of sulk in a Sentence

Verb

He went to sulk in his room. She has been sulking all day.

Noun

a child sitting in a sulk over a minor disagreement
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But Krieger couldn’t take weeks or months to wallow or sulk, like most people would. Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris are role models on and off the soccer field," 24 June 2019 Now that their human playthings have ruined the sport by making Earth largely uninhabitable, the Vril are left sulking in their favorite historical forms, which include Genghis Khan and Margaret Thatcher. Samantha Nelson, The Verge, "In the sci-fi spoof Iron Sky: The Coming Race, Alien Hitler rides a T-Rex to war," 17 July 2019 Mr Johnson is hyper-sensitive to the brickbats of the liberal elite into which he was born, and sulked after the referendum when his neighbours in Islington turned against him. Boris Johnson, The Economist, "Boris Johnson, illusionist," 4 July 2019 An arcade or even a roller skating rink (so retro!) is a much more fun indoor activity than sulking. Gena Kaufman, Glamour, "21 Rainy-Day Date Ideas That Aren't Another Movie," 30 Mar. 2019 Eggplants growing in cold soil or exposed to chilly weather will sulk and potentially suffer from insect and disease problems. The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "The Secret to Growing the Most Flavorful Eggplants," 27 July 2018 Spencer Rattler never sulked when he was held out of the first two games of Tuesday's The Opening finals of the 7-on-7 tournament at the Dallas Cowboys' training headquarters in Frisco. Richard Obert, azcentral, "Pinnacle's Spencer Rattler becomes first Arizona QB to win Elite 11 MVP at The Opening," 3 July 2018 Premiering on Billboard, the somber clip finds Melo sulking in an empty house, laying down lifelessly, watching television. Carl Lamarre, Billboard, "Melo Makes Music & Taylor Bennett Try to Give Lost Souls Hope in Their New Video 'Sleepless': Premiere," 6 Apr. 2018 The time a robber walked in the door and announced a holdup, got met with tipsy laughter, and sulked away with nothing. John Carlisle, Detroit Free Press, "Tavern always on the rocks serves nostalgia with a twist," 18 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

This solo sulk then develops into a lover’s quarrel with Kehlani’s guest vocal, which gets songwriting and arranging points for weaving her voice into the narrative seamlessly, instead of as an awkwardly shoehorned-in cameo. Morgan Enos, Billboard, "Charlie Puth & Kehlani's New Duet 'Done For Me' is a Nu-Soul Lovers' Quarrel at a Bummer of a Party," 15 Mar. 2018 The Merseyside masters of maudlin pop are on a 40th-anniversary tour, but don’t expect a sulk down memory lane. Michael Andor Brodeur, BostonGlobe.com, "The Weekender: Wrinkles in time, tricks up sleeves, and ‘Pretty in Pink’," 8 Mar. 2018 With City refusing to meet the demands, any chance of a deal disappeared, sending Mahrez into a sulk that has already seen him miss games against Everton and Swansea. SI.com, "Leicester Boss Claude Puel Confirms AWOL Riyad Mahrez Will Not Play vs. Man City," 8 Feb. 2018 Staying home to sulk or pout or stew about what went wrong, the kind of thing overzealous fans do, would be ridiculous and serve no good purpose. Kevin Scarbinsky, AL.com, "Syracuse loss no reason for Dabo Swinney to skip his Alabama trip," 14 Oct. 2017 There’s very little for the character to do other than sulk. Tirdad Derakhshani, Philly.com, "Jos N. Banks kills it as drag queen Lola in 'Kinky Boots' at Academy of Music," 4 Oct. 2017 Rather than sulk in his dressing room about the horrid weather conditions, the swagger-happy MC swam through his set a la Michael Phelps. Carl Lamarre, Billboard, "A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Talks Debut Album, Possible Name Change & Plans of Going Back to School," 5 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sulk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of sulk

Verb

1781, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for sulk

Verb

back-formation from sulky

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More Definitions for sulk

sulk

verb

English Language Learners Definition of sulk

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: to be angry or upset about something and to refuse to discuss it with other people

sulk

noun

English Language Learners Definition of sulk (Entry 2 of 2)

: a period of time when someone is angry or upset and refuses to speak

sulk

verb
\ ˈsəlk How to pronounce sulk (audio) \
sulked; sulking

Kids Definition of sulk

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: to be angry or irritable about something but childishly refuse to talk about it

sulk

noun

Kids Definition of sulk (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the state of a person who is sullenly silent or irritable He has a case of the sulks.
2 : a sulky mood She's in a sulk.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sulk

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with sulk

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sulk

Spanish Central: Translation of sulk

Nglish: Translation of sulk for Spanish Speakers