crotchety

adjective

crotch·​ety ˈkrä-chə-tē How to pronounce crotchety (audio)
Synonyms of crotchety
1
: given to crotchets (see crotchet sense 2a) : subject to whims, crankiness, or ill temper
a crotchety old man
a crotchety critic
2
: full of or arising from crotchets
a crotchety style
Crotchety twilight-of-life drama.—Entertainment Weekly
crotchetiness
ˈkrä-chə-tē-nəs How to pronounce crotchety (audio)
noun

Synonyms of crotchety

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Examples of crotchety in a Sentence

None of the students dared to talk back to the crotchety old teacher. I get crotchety after a long day at work.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The tale she’s lived to tell emerges, for all its crotchety complaints, from a place of unerring loyalty. — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025 Here and across most of the album, Antonoff comes off like a crotchety war vet boxing at shadows. — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 30 May 2026 Arteta can strike a crotchety figure in post-match interviews, particularly when his team have dropped points. — James McNicholas, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025 Not to mention mostly crotchety baseball writers, the most tenured of which make up the Hall of Fame voting electorate. — Dallas News, 20 Jan. 2023 See All Example Sentences for crotchety

Word History

Etymology

see crotchet

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crotchety was in 1825

Browse Nearby Words

crotcheteer
crotchety
crotch tongue
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crotchety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crotchety. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

crotchety

adjective
crotch·​ety ˈkräch-ət-ē How to pronounce crotchety (audio)
: subject to whims, crankiness, or ill temper
crotchetiness
-ē-nəs How to pronounce crotchety (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on crotchety

Nglish: Translation of crotchety for Spanish Speakers

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