MOODY (moodier, moodiest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: moodier    , moodiest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Moody mean? 

• MOODY (noun)
  The noun MOODY has 2 senses:

1. United States tennis player who dominated women's tennis in the 1920s and 1930s (1905-1998)

2. United States evangelist (1837-1899)

  Familiarity information: MOODY used as a noun is rare.

• MOODY (adjective)
  The adjective MOODY has 2 senses:

1. showing a brooding ill humor

2. subject to sharply varying moods

  Familiarity information: MOODY used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MOODY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

United States tennis player who dominated women's tennis in the 1920s and 1930s (1905-1998)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Helen Newington Wills; Helen Wills; Helen Wills Moody; Moody

Instance hypernyms:

tennis player (an athlete who plays tennis)

Sense 2

Meaning:

United States evangelist (1837-1899)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Dwight Lyman Moody; Moody

Instance hypernyms:

evangelist; gospeler; gospeller; revivalist (a preacher of the Christian gospel)

• MOODY (adjective)

Comparative: moodier   
Superlative: moodiest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Showing a brooding ill humor

Synonyms:

dark; dour; glowering; glum; moody; morose; saturnine; sour; sullen

Context example:

a sullen crowd

Similar:

ill-natured (having an irritable and unpleasant disposition)

Derivation:

moodiness (a sullen gloomy feeling)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Subject to sharply varying moods

Synonyms:

moody; temperamental

Context example:

a temperamental opera singer

Similar:

emotional (of more than usual emotion)

Derivation:

mood (a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling)

moodiness (having temperamental and changeable moods)

 Context examples 

He relapsed into a moody silence, which was not broken until we drew up in Serpentine Avenue.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A question about whether an individual is or has been moody or brooded about things.

(Have You Been Moody or Brooded About Things, NCI Thesaurus)

For a time Sir Nigel was very moody and downcast, with bent brows and eyes upon the pommel of his saddle.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A moody smile that had overspread his features cleared off as he said this merrily, and he was his own frank, winning self again.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The fresh winds blew away desponding doubts, delusive fancies, and moody mists.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He was moody, too; unaccountably so; I more than once, when sent for to read to him, found him sitting in his library alone, with his head bent on his folded arms; and, when he looked up, a morose, almost a malignant, scowl blackened his features.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Away she bustled, half distracted, while my father sat moody, with his chin upon his hands, and I remained lost in wonder at the thought of this grand new relative from London, and of all that his coming might mean to us.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

So Laurie did his best, and sang delightfully, being in a particularly lively humor, for to the Marches he seldom showed the moody side of his character.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I can recollect, indeed, to have speculated, at odd times, on the possibility of my not being taught any more, or cared for any more; and growing up to be a shabby, moody man, lounging an idle life away, about the village; as well as on the feasibility of my getting rid of this picture by going away somewhere, like the hero in a story, to seek my fortune: but these were transient visions, daydreams I sat looking at sometimes, as if they were faintly painted or written on the wall of my room, and which, as they melted away, left the wall blank again.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

A little, when you look moody and discontented, as you sometimes do, for you've got such a strong will, if you once get started wrong, I'm afraid it would be hard to stop you.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)