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sull up

C1 informal inseparable intransitive
In simple words

To get in a bad mood and refuse to talk or cooperate, like when a child pouts.

Literal meaning: To become sullen (upward intensifier).

Meanings

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."

Grammar: inseparable
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."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

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.

Commonly used with

mule child mood corner silent

Forms

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

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