SUR'LY, adjective 1. Gloomily morose; crabbed; snarling; sternly sour; rough; cross and rude; as a surly groom; a surly dog. That surly spirit, melancholy. 2. Rough; dark; tempestuous. Now soften'd into joy the surly storm.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI