Sulking Is Silent Resentment Aimed at Someone
To sulk is to be silently resentful. The word is a back-formation from an older adjective.
To sulk is to be silently resentful and withdrawn, usually in a way meant to be noticed. That last part is the definition's hinge: sulking is aimed at somebody. A person alone in a room can be sad or brooding but cannot really sulk, because the silence is a message. This is what separates it from moping, which has no target. The verb is a back-formation from *sulky*, itself probably from an old word *sulke*, meaning hard to please.
- To be silently resentful. *Sulking in his room.*
- A fit of sulking. *In a sulk.*
- Sulky — the adjective. *A sulky child.*
- A light carriage. *A sulky.*
- Back-formation — from *sulky*. *The origin.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | sulk | Sulking. |
| Noun | sulk | A sulk. |
| Adjective | sulky | Sulky. |
| Adverb | sulkily | Sulkily. |
| Noun | sulky | A sulky. |
- He sulked all evening.Behaviour.
- She was in a sulk.Noun.
- A sulky is a light cart.Separate sense.
Why a carriage is called a sulky
- A sulky is a light two-wheeled cart with one seat
- It carries only the driver, with no room for company
- Named for the solitary, antisocial look of it
- Still used in harness racing today
- The name was a joke that became a technical term
A back-formation from *sulky*, probably from an obsolete word *sulke*, hard to please.
What is the difference between sulking and moping?
Sulking is aimed at someone; the silence is a message. Moping has no target and no audience.
Why is a racing cart called a sulky?
Because it seats only the driver, with no room for company, so it looks antisocial.