Moody Meaning
/ˈmuːdi/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjGiven to sudden or frequent changes of mind; temperamental.
adjSulky or depressed.
Sentence Examples
Everyone is entitled to be moody once in a while.
John has been moody since this morning.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ teenager often changed from happy to angry very quickly for no reason.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The teenager has been very ____ lately, often spending several hours alone in his room and refusing to talk to his parents about anything.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English mody, modi, from Old English mōdiġ (“brave”), from Proto-Germanic *mōdagaz (“courageous”). By surface analysis, mood + -y.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"How now? moodie? / What is't thou canſt demand?"
— 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 4:
"There's something special about tidal estuaries, due to the abundance of wildlife and the ever-changing scenes as the water ebbs or rises. Throw in some moody skies and filtered sunlight, and the views can resemble a painting by Turner - only you don't have to go to the National Gallery to see this, it's brought to your seat on a train."
— 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 65:
"Both Garry and Wally were dressed in dodgy suits and looked ready to hit the streets of Peckham to sell moody goods."
— 2023, Garry McCarthy, Paula Harding, Tribute to a Hero, page 131:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ teenager often changed from happy to angry very quickly for no reason.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The teenager has been very ____ lately, often spending several hours alone in his room and refusing to talk to his parents about anything.