Sulk
/sʌlk/noun
To be silent, gloomy, or resentful, often by refusing to speak or cooperate.
Did you know?The verb became common in English in the 17th century, and its earlier history is murky enough that etymologists have long suspected it may be linked to old words for being sluggish, drooping, or withdrawn.
Etymological Timeline
16th-17th Century
English
sulke / sulk
“To be morose, silent, or withdrawn in a resentful way.”
Early Modern English
English
sulk
“To remain aloof or moody, especially in silence.”
Middle English
English
sulken
“To droop, be sluggish, or act in a dull, listless way.”
Old English
English
sulian / sulcian (uncertain)
“A proposed ancestral form sometimes connected with sluggishness or drooping, though the origin is not firmly settled.”