surly
UK: ˈsɜːli | US: ˈsɜːrli
adj. bad-tempered or unfriendly in a rude or gruff manner
adj. (archaic) arrogant or haughty
The word "surly" originated in the late 16th century as an alteration of the obsolete term sirly (meaning "lordly" or "arrogant"), which itself derived from sir + the suffix -ly. Over time, the meaning shifted from "haughty" to "ill-tempered," influenced by the phonetic and semantic association with "sour." The morpheme sur reflects this sourness, while -ly turns it into an adjective. This evolution captures how social attitudes (arrogance) merged with behavioral traits (grumpiness).
The surly waiter ignored our requests for extra napkins.
His surly demeanor made it hard to approach him.
She gave a surly reply when asked about the delay.
The guard’s surly expression discouraged further questions.
Despite his surly attitude, he was secretly kind-hearted.