surly

adjective

sur·​ly ˈsər-lē 

surlier; surliest

1

: menacing or threatening in appearance

surly weather

2

obsolete : arrogant, imperious

3

: irritably sullen and churlish in mood or manner : crabbed

surlily

ˈsər-lə-lē 

adverb

surliness

ˈsər-lē-nəs 

noun

surly adverb

Did you know?

In its very earliest uses in the 16th century, surly meant "majestic" or "lordly." These early meanings make sense when you know that this word is an alteration of Middle English "serreli," which probably comes from "sire, ser," a title formerly used as a form of address for men of rank or authority. So how did a word with such lofty beginnings come to be associated with grumbling rudeness? Arrogant and domineering behavior is sometimes associated with men of rank or position, and "surly" came to mean "haughty" or "imperious." These meanings (which are now obsolete) led to the "rude" sense that is very common today.

Synonyms

• glum
• mopey
• pouting
• pouty
• sulky
• sullen

Choose the Right Synonym for surly

sullen, glum, morose, surly, sulky, crabbed, saturnine, gloomy mean showing a forbidding or disagreeable mood.

sullen implies a silent ill humor and a refusal to be sociable.

remained sullen amid the festivities

glum suggests a silent dispiritedness.

a glum candidate left to ponder a stunning defeat

morose adds to glum an element of bitterness or misanthropy.

morose job seekers who are inured to rejection

surly implies gruffness and sullenness of speech or manner.

a typical surly teenager

sulky suggests childish resentment expressed in peevish sullenness.

grew sulky after every spat

crabbed applies to a forbidding morose harshness of manner.

the school's notoriously crabbed headmaster

saturnine describes a heavy forbidding aspect or suggests a bitter disposition.

a saturnine cynic always finding fault

gloomy implies a depression in mood making for seeming sullenness or glumness.

a gloomy mood ushered in by bad news

Examples of surly in a Sentence

went about his chores in a surly huff, totally annoyed that he was stuck at home on this beautiful Saturday

the surly receptionist told us we'd have to wait outside in the rain

Recent Examples on the Web

Trolling, today, having slipped the surly bonds of 4chan, is no longer subculture. —Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2024

Harkness tricks Molly—the surly records room MI5 lady—and takes her hostage in her home, using threats to force her to help him access MI5 databases and track the location of the Dogs. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024

Only Murders In The Building is having a terrific fourth season—perhaps the best since Season 1, with an intriguing mystery (or rather, mysteries) and a fun cast of guest stars including a surly Zach Galifianakis, an affable Eugene Levy, and an adorable Kumail Nanjiani. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024

But there can be striking similarities, like the parallels between that surly California contest 22 years ago and Biden’s tough reelection fight. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English serreli lordly, imperious, probably from sire, ser sire

First Known Use

1523, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

surly

adjective

sur·​ly ˈsər-lē 

surlier; surliest

: having a rude unfriendly disposition

surliness noun

Etymology

Middle English serreli "lordly, imperious," from sir "a man of rank"

Word Origin

The word surly, which describes someone with a very bad temper, was at one time spelled sirly. It comes from the familiar word sir, which has been used for centuries as a title of respect for a gentleman or nobleman. Sirly was originally used to describe a person who behaves in a very proud way—the kind of person who might insist on being called "sir." It was similar in meaning to the word lordly. Many years of use brought about the changes in spelling and in meaning that have given us the modern word surly.