1. the quality or state of being bad-tempered, rude, and unfriendly

Examples

• The customer’s surliness made the cashier uncomfortable.
• His surliness toward new employees created a hostile work environment.
• She was surprised by the waiter’s surliness when she asked for the menu.
• The teacher addressed the student’s surliness with a private conversation.
• Despite his surliness, he was actually quite helpful once you got to know him.
• The manager’s surliness increased as the deadline approached.