ill-humoured

IPA/ˌɪl ˈhjuːməd/
IPA/ˌɪl ˈhjuːmərd/

ill-humoured — adjective

1. showing or feeling annoyance and a lack of friendliness, so that the person spea

1.形容詞C1
釋義

showing or feeling annoyance and a lack of friendliness, so that the person speaks sharply, frowns, or refuses to be pleasant to those around them.

例句

Paloma gave an ill-humoured grunt when her colleagues asked her to join lunch.

attributive: ill-humoured + noun (grunt, reply, remark)

Rachid was ill-humoured all morning after spilling coffee on his new shirt.

predicative: be ill-humoured + time phrase

同義詞
  • grumpy

    more everyday and informal; same meaning

  • bad-tempered

    very close synonym, slightly more neutral in register

  • surly

    stronger — adds the idea of being rude or unwelcoming, not just unhappy

  • irritable

    stresses the readiness to become angry, not just the present mood

反義詞
  • good-humoured

    direct opposite — cheerful and friendly

  • cheerful

    general opposite, more common in daily speech

用法筆記

Mainly British spelling; the American form is 'ill-humored'. Frequently attributive (before a noun like 'reply', 'grunt', 'remark'). When predicative, often followed by a time phrase ('all morning', 'for hours') signalling a passing mood rather than a permanent trait.

常見錯誤

❌She is an ill-humoured.
✅She is ill-humoured.
💡it is an adjective, not a noun; do not use it with an article on its own.
❌He is ill-humoured at his brother.
✅He is annoyed at his brother.
💡ill-humoured describes a general mood, not a feeling aimed at a specific target.