Morose
/məˈroʊs/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Morose describes a mood or attitude that is very sad and serious. A morose person often looks unhappy and does not want to talk or smile. It is stronger than just feeling a little sad; it shows deep unhappiness or gloom.
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⚡ See It in Action
Feeling or showing deep sadness or gloom
- •After hearing the bad news, he became morose and stopped talking.
- •She had a morose look on her face all day.
- •The morose atmosphere in the room made everyone feel uncomfortable.
Describing a gloomy or serious mood or expression
- •The morose sky matched the sad story they told.
- •His morose silence showed he was upset but didn’t want to explain why.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "morose" like "sad" (A1 word), but much deeper and quieter—more like someone who is unhappy inside and does not show it with loud crying or anger.
- ✓Picture a dark, cloudy day with no sun, where everything feels heavy and dull.
- ✓It’s the feeling you get when you are alone and thinking about something upsetting or disappointing.
- ✓Sounds like "more-rose" → imagine a rose losing its color and looking dark and quiet, not bright and happy.
- ✓Think of a character in a movie who sits alone, looking serious and unhappy without saying much.
- ✓NOT like "happy" (bright and joyful), morose is the opposite—dark and serious sadness.
- ✓NOT like "angry" (strong and loud emotion), morose is quiet and withdrawn sadness.
- ✓NOT like "depressed" (a medical condition), morose is a mood or feeling, not a long illness.
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Gloomy: dark and unhappy feeling (Use when describing mood or weather that feels sad and dark)
- •Sullen: silent and unhappy, often showing anger too (Use when sadness is mixed with silence and a little anger)
- •Downcast: looking or feeling sad and low in spirit (Use when focusing on appearance or expression of sadness)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no clear prefix or suffix; root word "morose")
- •Etymology: From Latin "morosus," meaning "peevish" or "fretful," related to being in a bad mood
- •Historical development: Entered English in the late 1500s to describe a gloomy or bad-tempered mood
- •Modern usage: Used to describe a person’s mood or expression when they are quietly sad or gloomy, often in literature and everyday speech
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How can you tell if someone is morose just by looking at their face or body language?
•Can a place or weather feel morose, or is it only for people? How would you describe that?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.When he felt morose, he usually ___ alone and avoided talking to friends.
2.Her morose expression showed she was ___ something sad or disappointing.
3.Unlike being angry, morose is a ___ and quiet kind of sadness.
4.A morose person often speaks very ___ or not at all.
5.The rainy, dark day made the whole town feel ___ and morose.
6.After the bad news, his mood stayed morose for several ___.
7.People who are morose may ___ smiling or laughing even if they are around others.