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moroseness

moroseness

1 8.4
A gloomy, unfriendly mood that makes a person quiet and hard to approach
  • noun
  • /məˈroʊs.nəs/
translation icon : morosidad
  • Her ladyship affected not to notice Olivia's moroseness, Father Herrick's smooth disdain, or her own son's insomnia-ravaged eyes.

Examples

  • The team's moroseness after the loss was palpable, as they reflected on what could have been.

  • Caprice, spite, anger, malice, moroseness, melancholy.

  • There was something seriously wrong here, and not just his moroseness because of the move.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I had eventually demanded of his moroseness and tears.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • This moroseness that you describe, could it not be attributable to the fact that the accused was obliged to wear women's clothes?

  • All this stuff with philosophy, moroseness, angst—terrific stuff to be sure.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • His constant moroseness made it difficult for his friends to enjoy their time together.

  • Despite her success, a lingering moroseness overshadowed her happiness.

Synonyms

gloom
vsmoroseness
46 3.2

A feeling of sadness and low spirits

is more about a person’s ill tempered or grumpy emotional state
sullenness
vsmoroseness
1 7.9

A quiet, gloomy mood that shows anger or hurt

is more openly ill tempered and hostile than silent resentment
dreariness
vsmoroseness
1 6.2

A dull, gloomy feeling that makes things seem not interesting

focuses more on a grumpy, ill tempered emotional quality rather than dullness
somberness
vsmoroseness
  • US
1 6.5

A serious, sad mood that feels quiet and heavy

is less solemn and more marked by irritability and bad temper
sourness
vsmoroseness
1 4.0

A feeling of anger and bitterness after a disagreement

is similar but often adds a stronger angry or ill tempered tone
lugubriousness
vsmoroseness
  • Literature
1 9.9

Being very sad in a way that seems fake

is more genuine gloomy anger rather than exaggerated sorrow
sulkiness
vsmoroseness
5.5

A quiet unhappy mood when someone shows anger or hurt feelings

is harsher and more ill tempered rather than just moody withdrawal
mumpish attitude
vsmoroseness
  • Archaic
9.9

A mood of being quiet and annoyed

is more about a harsh, ill tempered mood than mere moodiness
gloominess
vsmoroseness
4.4

A sad, frowning look on a person's face

is more about an ill tempered or sullen inner mood than looks
glumness
vsmoroseness
6.6

A quiet feeling of sadness and low spirits

adds an ill tempered, grumpy edge to that sadness
uncheerfulness
vsmoroseness
7.2

A feeling of gloom and sadness that lowers your mood

is more strongly marked by sulkiness or ill temper rather than quiet gloom
low-spiritedness
vsmoroseness
6.7

A feeling of sadness and little interest in things

carries a sharper ill tempered quality along with the low mood
downheartedness
vsmoroseness
6.8

A feeling of being sad and having little hope

is similar but includes a more irritable, ill tempered tone
lowness
vsmoroseness
5.8

A time when someone feels sad and without energy

adds a resentful, ill tempered quality to mere sadness

Antonyms

41 1.0

How much light something gives or how close it looks to white

4 1.0

A happy mood that makes you smile and helps others feel good

How Gloomy

despondency
4 8.3
sullenness
1 7.9
moroseness
1 8.4
gloom
46 3.2
sadness
229 1.0

Surface Forms

moroseness singular
morosenesses plural

Morphology

moroseness = morose (transparent) = morose + ness

The noun is a regular nominalization of the adjective 'morose' using the productive suffix '-ness', so the meaning is directly predictable.

Etymology

Moroseness comes from the adjective morose, which comes from Latin morosus meaning 'peevish' or 'ill-tempered'. So moroseness is the quality of being 'sullen', gloomy, or in a bad mood.