Sulky
/ˈsʌl.ki/noun
Gloomy, resentful, or silently bad-tempered.
Did you know?The word is likely tied to an older dialect form meaning “sullen,” and its history shows how English often turns emotional states into physical, almost visible atmospheres.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sel-
“to bend, turn, or curve”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*sul- / *sulj-
“likely a development connected to being drooping, dull, or sullen”
Old English
English
sulig / sūllic
“sullen, gloomy, or sluggish in temperament”
16th-17th Century
English
sulky
“sullen, morose, or silently resentful”
Modern English
English
sulky
“gloomy, resentful, or bad-tempered in a quiet way”