sulk

1 of 2

verb

sulked; sulking; sulks

intransitive verb

: to be moodily silent

sulk

2 of 2

noun

1
: the state of one sulking
often used in plural
had a case of the sulks
2
: a sulky mood or spell
in a sulk

Examples of sulk in a Sentence

Verb He went to sulk in his room. She has been sulking all day. Noun a child sitting in a sulk over a minor disagreement
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Ronaldo was visibly shocked when his number was held up by the fourth official and sulked off the pitch before throwing the coat he had been handed on the floor of the United bench. Elias Burke, The Athletic, 18 Aug. 2024 Christ stands with arms folded, eyes narrowed—a perfect image of sulking adolescent defiance. Christian K. Kleinbub, ARTnews.com, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
Lucius, at best, looks like someone engaged in a prolonged sulk. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2024 Julio has a permanent sulk on his face and a worrying stoop in his gait. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 19 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for sulk 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

back-formation from sulky

First Known Use

Verb

1781, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sulk was in 1781

Dictionary Entries Near sulk

Cite this Entry

“Sulk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sulk. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

sulk

1 of 2 verb
: to be silently angry, upset, or irritable

sulk

2 of 2 noun
1
: the state of one sulking
often used in plural
had a case of the sulks
2
: a sulky mood
was in a sulk

More from Merriam-Webster on sulk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!