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to sulk

to sulk

42 3.5
To be silent and refuse to talk when you feel annoyed or disappointed
  • verb
  • /sʌlk/
translation icon : enfurruñarse
  • After her friends teased her, she decided to stay in her room and sulk instead of joining them.

I'd rather sulk in my sadness and defeat.

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Examples

  • You can sulk in your room, or you can get out there and do the play.

  • "Are you going to sulk all the way home?" Fran asked.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • But she does have this balance and she never let herself sulk too long.

  • Let her sulk and cry.

  • There she used to sulk until her mother or sister came to find her.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Your old teammates are out there, but you just sulk here by yourself.

  • Instead he has been sulking ever since.

  • If you're going to sulk all day, stay out of my way.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Kay was not used to being checked in public, and thereafter sulked, not speaking to anyone.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Tristan spent weeks sulking in the woods, sinking deeper into despair.

Synonyms

to pout
vsto sulk
41 3.4

To push out your lips to show that you are annoyed or disappointed

is a broader withdrawn mood expressed by silence rather than a lip gesture
to grump
vsto sulk
1 4.9

To complain when you are in a bad mood

is silent moodiness and withdrawal rather than active complaining
to sook
vsto sulk
  • Australian
1 9.9

To complain and act sad or upset

is silent withdrawal rather than open complaining or moping
to mump
vsto sulk
  • Archaic
9.9

To stay silent and show you are angry or upset

is mainly silent moodiness without clear outward complaint or loud display

Antonyms

676 3.4

To take part in an activity

How Upset

to fume
22 6.3
to complain
1.0
to grumble
41 3.7
to sulk
42 3.5
to pout
41 3.4
to frown
160 1.0

Surface Forms

sulk infinitive
sulked past
sulked past participle
sulking present participle
sulks third person singular

Etymology

Sulk as a verb means to show you are upset by being quiet or pulling away. The word probably comes from old northern English words for being 'silent', which is why to sulk is to pull away and refuse to talk.