as in sulkiness
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Recent Examples of surliness
Dani’s surliness has evaporated.
—
David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The Dolphins knew in the spring that Jalen Ramsey’s tardiness and surliness did not fit the culture that the organization wanted to build.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
But at least Chalamet doesn’t try to soft pedal Dylan’s surliness and careerism, and his vocal re-creations are mostly spot on.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The Dolphins knew in the spring that Jalen Ramsey’s tardiness and surliness did not fit the culture that the organization wanted to build.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
But at least Chalamet doesn’t try to soft pedal Dylan’s surliness and careerism, and his vocal re-creations are mostly spot on.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surliness
Noun
-
Trump’s petulance, meanness, and willingness to punish a religious institution for its Church’s moral witness is a warning to every faith community in America.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Sure, the Oscar-winning makeup helps transform the actor into Cheney, but the voice and petulance are all Bale, whose conjuring of this scoundrel ought to trigger PTSD for anyone who survived the Dubya years.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Vince Gilligan moved to Apple and returned to his X-Files roots for the sci-fi horror dramatic comedy Pluribus, which used its ultra-mysterious and yet ultra-familiar genre trappings for a droll meditation on the eternal clash between collective joy and individual grouchiness.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Nov. 2025
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Emily is also struggling with Annabelle, who has inherited her mom’s attitude and the grouchiness of any adolescent forced to grow up with an Evolution Media camera crew in her home.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, sleep issues, joint and muscle discomfort, night sweats, forgetfulness, moodiness, and irritability.—
Laura Schober,
Health,
23 Apr. 2026
-
These rapid blood sugar spikes and dips can drain you of your energy, leading to sluggishness, irritability, and increased hunger.—
Kristen Gasnick,
Verywell Health,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Poor sleep leads to more than just crankiness A cranky kid after a bad night’s sleep is bad enough.—
Avery Newmark,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
And remember, most Californians are running on an hour less sleep today, so drive a little slower and blame your crankiness on the time change.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Warriors trailed by 11 points after a first quarter notable mostly for some late Golden State testiness.—
Ron Kroichick,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Corbett said the testiness started in Florida and returned with the team to Charlotte.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Indeed, with Iran’s refusal to end hostilities on unfavorable terms and willingness to fight to the end, alongside Israel’s belligerence and desire to disintegrate the Iranian state, risks of further escalation remain.—
Alexander Langlois,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
-
From top to bottom, this administration embodies the perversity, ignorance and belligerence of its leader.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s probably not much of a mystery bubbling around the pizza plaza’s sudden crustiness toward the Super Bowl.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Use disposable products like gauze or cotton swabs to gently remove build-up or crustiness.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surliness. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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