SURLINESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does surliness mean? 

• SURLINESS (noun)
  The noun SURLINESS has 1 sense:

1. a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger

  Familiarity information: SURLINESS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SURLINESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

biliousness; irritability; peevishness; pettishness; snappishness; surliness; temper

Context example:

his temper was well known to all his employees

Hypernyms ("surliness" is a kind of...):

ill nature (a disagreeable, irritable, or malevolent disposition)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "surliness"):

querulousness (the quality of being given to complaining)

Derivation:

surly (inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace)