surly

UK: /ˈsɜː^rli/ US: /ˈsɝli/ ,(sûr′lē)

Inflections of 'surly' (adj):

surlier

adj comparative

surliest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sur•ly /ˈsɜrli/   adj., -li•er, -li•est. 

1. rude, unfriendly, hostile, or bad-tempered.

sur•li•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sur•ly  (sûr′lē), adj., -li•er, -li•est. 

1. churlishly rude or bad-tempered:
   a surly waiter.
2. unfriendly or hostile;
   menacingly irritable:
   a surly old lion.
3. dark or dismal;
   menacing;
   threatening:
   a surly sky.
4. [Obs.] lordly;
   arrogant.

• spelling, spelled variant of obsolete sirly lordly, arrogant, equivalent. to sir + -ly 1560–70

sur′li•ly, adv. 
sur′li•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. sullen, irascible, cross, grumpy. See glum. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

surly / ˈsɜːlɪ/ adjective ( -lier, -liest)

1. sullenly ill-tempered or rude
2. (of an animal) ill-tempered or refractory

Etymology: 16th Century: from obsolete sirly haughty; see sir

ˈsurlily adverb

ˈsurliness noun