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adverb. in a way that shows irritation, ill humor, or gloom; morosely: In the next room, an embittered, lonely man sits sullenly. with a gloomy or dismal sound: The door thudded sullenly behind her. The waves roared sullenly against the base of the cliff. Discover More.
The adverb sullenly is used to describe something that's done glumly, or in a very bad-tempered way. Anyone who is in the mood to complain will speak or respond sullenly, like a little kid who's been dragged along on a car trip and speaks up sullenly from time to time to ask, "Are we there yet?"
SULLENLY definition: 1. in a way that is sullen (= angry and unwilling to smile or be pleasant to people): 2. in a way…. Learn more.
1. Showing a brooding ill humor or silent resentment; morose or sulky. 2. Gloomy or somber in tone, color, or portent: sullen, gray skies. 3. Sluggish; slow: the sullen current of a canal. [Middle English solein, from Anglo-Norman solein, alone, from sol, single, from Latin sōlus, by oneself alone; see s (w)e- in Indo-European roots .]
SULLENLY meaning: 1. in a way that is sullen (= angry and unwilling to smile or be pleasant to people): 2. in a way…. Learn more.
There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the adverb sullenly. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
1. a. : gloomily or resentfully silent or repressed. a sullen crowd. b. : suggesting a sullen state : lowering. a sullen countenance. 2. : dull or somber in sound or color. 3. : dismal, gloomy. a sullen morning. 4. : moving sluggishly. a sullen river. sullenly adverb. sullenness. ˈsə-lə (n)-nəs. noun. Synonyms. black. bleak. cheerless. chill.
