sulk

sulk — verb

1. to express displeasure or hurt feelings by staying silent, avoiding eye contact,

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to express displeasure or hurt feelings by staying silent, avoiding eye contact, or withdrawing from conversation rather than explaining what is bothering you

Example

Daichi sulked in his room for two hours after losing the chess match.

sulk + in + [place]

Instead of explaining what was wrong, Amani sat on the sofa and sulked.

sulk as an alternative to explaining

Common collocations
  • sulk about something
  • sulk over something
  • sulk in one's room
  • sulk in a corner
  • sulk silently
Synonyms
  • pout

    focuses on the facial expression of pushing out the lips; often used for children or mild displeasure

  • mope

    suggests moving around with a sad, listless expression rather than staying silent in one place

  • brood

    emphasises thinking deeply and repeatedly about the cause of the unhappiness, not just the silent behaviour

Antonyms
  • cheer up

    to become happy again after feeling upset

Grammar Patterns

sulk + about/over + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used with the prepositions 'about' or 'over' to state the cause of the mood. Never takes a direct object, so the person or situation that triggered the feeling must be introduced by a preposition.

Common Mistakes

She sulked him for being late.
She sulked about his lateness.
sulk is intransitive and cannot be followed by a direct object.

sulk — noun

Word family

  • sulky
    adjectiveB2
  • sulkily
    adverbC1
  • sulkiness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe a negative emotional state shown through quiet or withdrawn behaviour, but they differ in intensity and focus. Sulk emphasises silent refusal to communicate — the person deliberately stops talking and may turn their body away. Pout highlights the physical expression: pushing out the lower lip, and is most often used for children or trivial disappointments. Mope suggests sluggish, sad movement — the person wanders around looking at the ground with little energy. Brood is more internal: the person may be sitting still but is mentally replaying the upsetting event over and over. For example, a child told they cannot have dessert may pout for a moment, then sulk through dinner. A teenager who lost a competition might mope around the house, then brood about it in bed at night.

sulk ↗poutmopebrood

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in a sulk
  • have a sulk
  • go into a sulk

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word 'sulk' first appeared in English in the late 1700s. It probably came from an earlier, now-obsolete verb 'sulk' meaning 'to be slow or sluggish', which can be traced back to the Old English word 'solcen' (slow, lazy). Over time the meaning shifted from physical slowness to a slow, moody silence that shows displeasure.