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Definition of Surly
1. Adjective. Inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace. "An ugly frame of mind"
Definition of Surly
1. a. Arrogant; haughty.
Definition of Surly
1. Adjective. (obsolete) Lordly, arrogant, supercilious. ¹
2. Adjective. Irritated, bad-tempered, unfriendly. ¹
3. Adjective. Threatening, menacing, gloomy. ¹
4. Adverb. (obsolete) In an arrogant or supercilious manner. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Definition of Surly
1. sullenly rude [adj -LIER, -LIEST] : SURLILY [adv]
Lexicographical Neighbors of Surly
Literary usage of Surly
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. Library of Southern Literature by John Calvin Metcalf (1909)
""surly Tim," Frances Hodgson's best story, a sketch that now ranks as a classic,
was published in Scribner's in 1872. It was the first of her strong ..."
2. Recreation by George O. Shields, American Canoe Association, League of American Sportsmen (1898)
"surly BILL. TR WAITE. He appeared at the ranch one morning, and the foreman set
him at work with the other boys. He was not remarkable in any way unless for ..."
3. The Poetical Works of John Dryden by John Dryden (1909)
"The surly salvage offspring disappear, Yet, tho' rough bears in covert seek de- "
fense, And curse the bright successor of the year. ie That crafty kind ..."
4. The British Drama: Comprehending the Best Plays in the English Language by Sir Walter Scott, Walter Scott (1804)
"surly come ! And Mammon made acquainted ! They'll tell all. How shall I heat them
off? ... Enter surly and MAMMON. Sur. No, sir, he was a great physician. ..."
5. An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language by Walter William Skeat (1893)
"surly, morose, uncivil. (Hybrid; F..-L. ; with E. suffix.} In Shak. K. John, iii.
3. 42 ; &c. 'The orig. meaning seems to have been sir-lite, magisterial, ..."
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