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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

morose

Adjective

IPA /məˈrəʊs/

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Meaning in plain English

Unhappy and bad-tempered in a quiet way, often showing little interest in talking to other people.

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Pronunciation

morose/məˈrəʊs/

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  1. A much-anticipated picnic is cancelled

  2. Unhappy and bad-tempered

  3. Sits silently, unwilling to chat

A morose person is gloomy and withdrawn.

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Examples in context

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  1. He grew morose when the rain cancelled their long-planned picnic.
  2. The normally cheerful assistant was unusually morose throughout the meeting.

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He grew ________ when the rain cancelled their long-planned picnic.
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morose — Unhappy and bad-tempered in a quiet way, often showing little interest in talking to other people.

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Unhappy and bad-tempered in a quiet way, often showing little interest in talking to other people.

Compare: He grew morose when the rain cancelled their long-planned picnic.

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Word origin

From Latin morosus, meaning peevish, related to mos, meaning manner or custom.

Did you know?

Look morose and become morose describe appearance and a change of mood.

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morose

/məˈrəʊs/ (Adjective)

“Morose suggests both gloominess and a lack of sociability, rather than sadness alone.”

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