different between sullen vs cantankerous
sullen
English
Etymology
From Middle English solein, from Anglo-Norman soleyn (“alone”), from Old French sole (“single, sole, alone”), from Latin s?lus (“by oneself alone”). The change in meaning from "single" to morose occurred in Middle English.
Pronunciation
- enPR: s?l??n, IPA(key): /?s?l?n/
- Rhymes: -?l?n
- Hyphenation: sul?len
Adjective
sullen (comparative sullener, superlative sullenest)
- Having a brooding ill temper; sulky.
- 1709, Matthew Prior, Pleasure
- And sullen I forsook the imperfect feast.
- 2007, Steven Wilson, "Normal", Porcupine Tree, Nil Recurring.
- 1709, Matthew Prior, Pleasure
- Gloomy; dismal; foreboding.
- a sullen atmosphere
- 1593, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, IV. v. 88:
- Our solemn hymns to sullen dirges change;
- Sluggish; slow.
- (obsolete) Lonely; solitary; desolate.
- (obsolete) Mischievous; malignant; unpropitious.
- (obsolete) Obstinate; intractable.
- a. 1694, John Tillotson, Imprudence of Atheism
- Things are as sullen as we are.
- a. 1694, John Tillotson, Imprudence of Atheism
Synonyms
(in a bad mood):
- sulky, morose
Antonyms
- cheerful
- content
- lighthearted
- pleased
Translations
Noun
sullen (plural sullens)
- (obsolete) One who is solitary, or lives alone; a hermit.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Piers Plowman to this entry?)
- (chiefly in the plural) Sullen feelings or manners; sulks; moroseness.
- 1593, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of King Richard the Second, II. i. 139:
- And let them die that age and sullens have;
- 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, I.7:
- [M]y brother […] charged my desire of being excused coming down to sullens, because a certain person had been spoken against, upon whom, as he supposed, my fancy ran.
- 1593, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of King Richard the Second, II. i. 139:
Anagrams
- unsell
Middle Dutch
Etymology
From Old Dutch sulan
Verb
sullen
- (auxiliary) must, to have to
- (auxiliary, negated) may, be allowed to
- (auxiliary) will, shall, be going to (future tense)
- (auxiliary, in the past tense) to be about to (inchoative)
- (modal auxiliary) indicates a possible or hypothetical situation
- (modal auxiliary) indicates information garnered from a third party that may or may not be reliable
Inflection
This verb needs an inflection-table template.
Alternative forms
- suelen
- s?len
- sellen
- s?len
- sollen
Descendants
- Dutch: zullen
- Afrikaans: sal
- Limburgish: zölle, zólle
Further reading
- “sullen”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
- Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929) , “sullen”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, ?ISBN
Northern Sami
Pronunciation
Verb
s?llen
- first-person singular past indicative of suollit
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cantankerous
English
Etymology
Perhaps derived from earlier contenkerous, from contentious + rancorous.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kæn?tæ?k???s/, /k?n?tæ?k???s/
Adjective
cantankerous (comparative more cantankerous, superlative most cantankerous)
- Given to or marked by an ill-tempered nature; ill-tempered, cranky, surly, crabby.
Usage notes
Note: cantankerous is generally used to describe an unpleasant elderly person in a slightly pejorative manner. However, the term can be used to people in general, livestock, and machinery as well.
Synonyms
- cranky
- grouchy
- grumpy
- ornery
- surly
- truculent
Derived terms
Translations
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