Added 10 October 2026
surly
/ˈsɜːli/ adjective
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about surly at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Irritated, bad-tempered, unfriendly.
-
Threatening, menacing, gloomy.
The surly weather put us all in a bad mood.
- Lordly, arrogant, supercilious.
adverb
- In an arrogant or supercilious manner.
Origin
16th-century alteration of sirly, from sir + -ly.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)