How to pronounce atrabilious
Say it like at-ruh-BIL-ee-us. Atrabilious has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (BIL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce atrabilious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- at
- ruh
- BIL
- ee
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Atrabilious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- atGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- ruhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- BILSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- usKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of atrabilious
American and British speakers say atrabilious in essentially the same way: /ˌætrəˈbɪliəs/ in the US and /ˌætrəˈbɪliəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: at-ruh-BIL-ee-us.
What does atrabilious mean?
- Characterized by melancholy.
- Ill-natured; malevolent; cantankerous.
Where does atrabilious come from?
From Latin ātra bīlis (“black bile”) (āter (“dark, black”) + bīlis (“bile”)) + -ous (“full of”), referring to the humor which ancient Hippocratic and later Galenic medicine associated with sadness and despondency.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying atrabilious
How do you pronounce atrabilious?
Say at-ruh-BIL-ee-us. The American pronunciation is /ˌætrəˈbɪliəs/. In British English it is /ˌætrəˈbɪliəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in atrabilious?
Atrabilious has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (BIL). Broken into parts: at · ruh · BIL · ee · us.
Do Americans and Brits say atrabilious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌætrəˈbɪliəs/ and the British form is /ˌætrəˈbɪliəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.