Sullen, gloomy, and ill-tempered; showing a brooding, bad-tempered sadness. Describes someone who is persistently moody and unsociable.
From Latin 'morosus' meaning 'peevish, fastidious,' derived from 'mos' (custom, manner). Originally described someone overly concerned with proper behavior, but evolved to mean stubbornly gloomy or difficult.
Morose describes that particular combination of sadness and irritability that makes someone unpleasant to be around — it's depression with an edge of hostility. This emotional state often serves as a defense mechanism, pushing others away when we're too hurt to risk further connection.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.