cranky

adjective

ˈkraŋ-kē How to pronounce cranky (audio)
Definition of crankynext
1
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design that old typewriter is handy sometimes, but rather cranky these days

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2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed the baby was cranky after not being fed for hours

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3
as in restless
given to complaining a lot if cranky children don't appreciate what they already have, then they shouldn't get a thing more

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in funny
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion that's just another of his cranky theories about the CIA

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cranky Brolin is cranky, colorful and memorable as a survivor who didn’t get that way by accident. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 There were interceptions, incompletions and a few tussles from cranky and competitive players on a hot and humid New England morning. — Zach Berman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 When a baby is cranky or fighting sleep, a swing can gently calm them down or lull them to sleep. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026 In Ketticè’s time frame, all the kids are still blithely using Facebook to message each other, update their status and bully one another, the platform having not yet become the domain of the old, cranky and terminally uncool. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cranky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranky
  1. clumsy
  2. irritable
  3. restless
  4. funny
  5. awkward
  6. grumpy
  7. bizarre
  8. cumbersome
Adjective
  • Here, his clumsy, winky, affected, and self-undercutting direction can’t even work the charming Jenna Ortega to a great performance, as her Klara is flattened into a bundle of manic pixie mannerisms both physical and verbal.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Some Latinas are nerds, and some Latinas are quirky, and some of them are goofy and some of them are clumsy.
    — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • Murray says her own experience has made her more understanding when female colleagues seem more tired or irritable than usual, particularly when the behavior is out of character.
    — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Could be because for much of the running time, Abrams’ Jay Gardiner is up against what looks like a very large irritable sphincter.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • If restless nights are a pattern, a conversation with your doctor may matter more than what sits in your snack bowl.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Geographically restless and lonely people everywhere are jealous!
    — Shayla Love, Vox, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of restless
Adjective
  • Divorced from the context of a map, Texas' congressional districts might just look like a collection of funny shapes.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • China did not find anything funny about the French star laughing at a meme of Mao, the communist dictator whose regime resulted in tens of millions of deaths.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of funny
Adjective
  • The Basketmaker—whose skills go far beyond furniture making—weaves her a match, Fiddler on the Roof-like, and the Fisherwoman, after an awkward matrimonial moment, takes Wicker Husband home to her funky little cottage.
    — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The pushback is awkward for a government that went out of its way to land the project.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of awkward
Adjective
  • Breakfast with the Grinch brings the belovedly grumpy character to the table for waffle stations, cookie decorating and plenty of festive photo ops.
    — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Fear not, as the country has finally introduced a rulebook for leasing grumpy, humpy dromedaries.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of grumpy
Adjective
  • The cookie shops have a rotating menu of cookies with elaborate toppings, sometimes offering bizarre flavors such as everything bagel.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Skerritt co-starred opposite Kathy Baker, playing his doctor wife in the community of Rome, Wisconsin, a place with bizarre happenings, like having a robber leaving a trail of frogs or the pope becoming the primary witness to a murder.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Adjective
  • Enter the fast-growing world of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, known by the somewhat cumbersome acronym of eVTOLs.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Less cumbersome portable hifi listening Accessibility Innovations improving life for the elderly and people with disabilities.
    — Time, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of cumbersome

Browse Nearby Words

crank (up)
cranky
crannies
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Cite this Entry

“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranky. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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