“Surly” vs “morose” - for native English speakers.
I’m trying to understand the difference between “surly” and “morose”. I suppose these are fairly literary words - I at least imagine people don’t often use the word “surly” in causal conversation - so perhaps you don’t have a very clear understanding of these words either. But anyway, I understand morose to mean that one is in a bad mood in an introverted, quiet way, whereas surly is being in a bad mood in a more aggressive and unfriendly way. Is that also your understanding?
Thanks for your help!
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Answers · 4
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Morose has more of a sad, gloomy, unhappy quality to its meaning, while surly is more descriptive of an aggressive, menacing nature.
1
Hi Mikkel,
Morose is not a word that one might hear in conversation, but may perhaps find in a book. Should you find yourself amongst people who are very well-spoken, you may come into contact with the word surly. Generally speaking, both words are not really used in everyday speech. Most native speakers may use idioms or slightly less-advanced vocabulary to describe the feeling, 'surly.'
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