surliness

S1U1R1L1I1N1E1S1S1

noun

The property of being surly.

Similar
temperbiliousnessirritabilitypeevishnesspettishnesssnappishness
Scrabble 9
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Meanings

nounsurliness (usually uncountable, plural surlinesses)

plural surlinesses

  1. uncountableusuallyThe property of being surly.

    There has been an escalation of police harassment in the gay community: five brutal busts at the Crystal Hotel; the closing of sex clubs without notice; beatings of women outside Amelia's Bar in January and surliness and assaults against lesbians by off duty officers at Peg's Club later.

    1979 August 4, Carl Wittman, “Streets of San Francisco”, in Gay Community News, page 12

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger

Similar
temperbiliousnessirritabilitypeevishnesspettishnesssnappishness
Broader
ill nature
Also see
biliousnessirritabilitypeevishnesspettishnesssnappishnesssullennesstemper

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From surly + -ness.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

surliness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/surliness

MLA

“surliness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/surliness. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “surliness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/surliness.

Source: surliness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.