morose
muh-ROHS
/məˈrəʊs/
Sullen and ill-tempered; gloomily quiet and unsociable.
Combines sadness with irritable bad temper and antisocial withdrawal.
The story behind the word. In Latin, 'morosus' originally meant fastidious or overly particular in one's habits. Over time, sticking so rigidly to one's private ways acquired the sense of sour, stubborn, unsociable bad temper.
Word relationships
- sullen: Sullen implies silent resentment and obstinate gloom.
- glum: Glum describes a quiet, disappointed gloominess without the sharp irritability of morose.
- genial: Genial means friendly, warm, and cheerful.
- amiable: Amiable means displaying a pleasant, agreeable nature.
Commonly confused with
- melancholy: Melancholy is quiet and introspective, whereas morose carries a sharp edge of unsociable bad temper.
Word family
- morosely (adverb): In a sullen, ill-tempered way.
- moroseness (noun): Sullenness or ill-tempered gloom.
Collocations
- morose silence
- morose demeanor
- remain morose
- grow morose
Idioms & expressions
- nursing a grudge
- cloud hanging over one's head
Example sentences
- "After being denied the promotion, he sat morose at the corner table, refusing to speak with his colleagues." Novel snippet
- "Her morose silence during dinner signaled to everyone that something was deeply wrong." Character study
Memory hook
NO MORE ROSES for him—he is too morose to appreciate flowers. Sour, ill-tempered gloom.
When not to use
Do not use for gentle, romanticized sorrow or public grief speeches.
Fun facts
- Though it sounds like 'morbid' or 'death', morose has no root connection to death—it comes from habits and manners!
Related words
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.