surly
Ill-tempered and curt
Surly describes a bad-tempered, unfriendly manner—gruff and unwilling to be pleasant.
A surly teenager responds to questions with grunts.
A surly clerk makes you feel unwelcome.
The word suggests someone who could be civil but chooses not to be: The bartender grew surly as the night wore on.
Easily provoked to annoyance
- crankyIll-tempered and peevish
- grouchyEasily annoyed, ill-tempered
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
- churlishIll-mannered and rude
petulant · testy · peevish · cross · ornery · crotchety · tetchy · moody
Abruptly rude in speech
ungracious · discourteous · snappy · short · rough · unfriendly · offhand · uncivil
Sullenly ill-humored
- broodingAnxiously dwelling on something
- dourSternly gloomy
- glumQuietly dejected
- sulkyMoody and silently resentful
gloomy · withdrawn · uncommunicative · silent · resentful · scowling · glowering · dark
Expressing intent to harm
- menacingConveying threat or danger
- aggressiveHostile and confrontational
- belligerentHostile and eager to clash
- antagonisticActively opposed or hostile
unfriendly · combative · truculent · pugnacious · confrontational · quarrelsome · bellicose · contentious
Unwilling to assist others
- obstinateFirmly refusing to yield
- stubbornRefusing to change course
- contraryOpposed in nature
- recalcitrantStubbornly resistant to control
intractable · difficult · rebellious · resistant · disobedient · insubordinate · mulish · refractory
irritable
Easily provoked to annoyance
- crankyIll-tempered and peevish
- grouchyEasily annoyed, ill-tempered
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
churlish · petulant · testy · peevish · cross · ornery · crotchety · tetchy · moody · bad-tempered
curt
Abruptly rude in speech
terse · ungracious · discourteous · snappy · short · rough · unfriendly · offhand · uncivil · impolite
morose
Sullenly ill-humored
sulky · gloomy · withdrawn · uncommunicative · silent · resentful · scowling · glowering · dark · sombre
threatening
Expressing intent to harm
- menacingConveying threat or danger
- aggressiveHostile and confrontational
- belligerentHostile and eager to clash
antagonistic · unfriendly · combative · truculent · pugnacious · confrontational · quarrelsome · bellicose · contentious · fierce
uncooperative
Unwilling to assist others
recalcitrant · intractable · difficult · rebellious · resistant · disobedient · insubordinate · mulish · refractory · headstrong
- irritabilitycranky, grouchy, grumpy, irritated, annoyed
- rudenessrude, discourtesy, impolite, rudeness, disrespect
- cold-heartedcallous, cold, cold-blooded, cold-hearted, cruel
- demeanorbehavior, conduct, deportment, bearing, demeanor
- irritatingannoying, aggravating, bothersome, exasperating, frustrating
- misbehaviormisbehave, misbehavior, mischief, misconduct, naughty