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Atrabilious: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Atrabilious adjective. Gloomy and bad-tempered.
How to say it
AT-ruh-BIL-ee-us/ˌætrəˈbɪliəs/
5 syllables, with stress on AT and BIL.
Atrabilious in a sentence
The atrabilious critic had not enjoyed a play since 1987.
Winter makes him atrabilious; spring makes him almost pleasant.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- morose
- irritable
- splenetic
- sullen
Opposite:
- genial
- cheerful
Where atrabilious comes from
From Latin atra bilis, black bile, once blamed for gloom and ill temper.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Winter makes him _____; spring makes him almost pleasant.
- atrabilious
- ambivalent
- elated
Show the answer
atrabilious: Winter makes him atrabilious; spring makes him almost pleasant.