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sur·ly

(sûrlē)

adj. sur·li·er, sur·li·est

1. Sullenly ill-humored; gruff.

2. Threatening, as of weather conditions; ominous: surly clouds filled the sky.

3. Obsolete Arrogant; domineering.

[Middle English sirly, masterful, lordly, from sir, lord; see SIR.]

surli·ly adv.

surli·ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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