1 C1 idiomatic informal
To become stubbornly sulky or unresponsive, refusing to engage; to go into a pouting, bad-tempered silence.
"Whenever he didn't get his way, he'd just sull up in the corner and refuse to talk to anyone."
inseparable
sull up
C1 informal inseparable intransitive
To become sullen, sulky, or stubbornly uncooperative; to pout or withdraw in a bad-tempered way.
In plain English
To get in a bad mood and refuse to talk or cooperate, like when a child pouts.
What does "sull up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
Of an animal, especially a mule or dog: to become obstinate and refuse to move or obey commands.
"The old mule sulled up in the middle of the field and no amount of coaxing would get it moving again."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To become sullen (upward intensifier).
Actually means
To get in a bad mood and refuse to talk or cooperate, like when a child pouts.
Usage tip
Dialectal expression mainly found in US Southern and South Midland English. 'Sull' is a dialectal form of 'sullen.' Rarely heard outside these regional dialects and largely absent from standard written English.
Words that pair with "sull up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
mule child mood corner silent
How to conjugate "sull up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
sull up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sulls up
he/she/it
Past simple
sulled up
yesterday
Past participle
sulled up
have + pp
-ing form
sulling up
continuous
Hear "sull up" in the wild
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