# brown study

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/brown-study
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A melancholy mood accompanied by deep thought; a moody daydream.

## Examples

- He sat in a brown study, staring blankly at the wall.
- After the bad news, she fell into a brown study and ignored everyone in the room.
- Lost in a profound brown study, the scholar remained entirely unaware of the bustling activity occurring around him.

## Origin

From obsolete brown (“gloomy”) and study.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.