crankier; crankiest
1
a
: given to fretful fussiness : readily angered when opposed : crotchety
Our long wait … left us a tad cranky.—
Connecticut
Connecticut
b
: marked by eccentricity
… his bizarre and cranky mix of ideas and beliefs …—R. J. Evans
R. J. Evans2
: full of twists and turns : tortuous
a cranky road
3
: working erratically : unpredictable
a cranky old tractor
of a boat
Synonyms
Examples of cranky in a Sentence
Adjective (1)
that old typewriter is handy sometimes, but rather cranky these days
the baby was cranky after not being fed for hours
if cranky children don't appreciate what they already have, then they shouldn't get a thing more
that's just another of his cranky theories about the CIA
the man would inflict on innocent bystanders his cranky ruminations on world events
Recent Examples on the Web
Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025
Frequently at odds with his cranky dad (Darren McGavin) but comforted by his doting mother (Melinda Dillon), Ralphie struggles to make it to Christmas Day with his glasses and his hopes intact.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 11 Dec. 2024
Whatever cranky conservative quip Allen fires off is sanded down by the balance Dennings brings to the breakfast table.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Next up is the cat-cow, a dynamic yoga pose that’s great for mobilizing your lower back, which can get cranky after long periods of staying still.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cranky 
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Adjective
Michael Ritchie’s hilarious classic features a cranky boozer (Walter Matthau at his best) coaching a batch of bad-news Little Leaguers, one played by Tatum O’Neal.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025
Frequently at odds with his cranky dad (Darren McGavin) but comforted by his doting mother (Melinda Dillon), Ralphie struggles to make it to Christmas Day with his glasses and his hopes intact.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 11 Dec. 2024
Whatever cranky conservative quip Allen fires off is sanded down by the balance Dennings brings to the breakfast table.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Next up is the cat-cow, a dynamic yoga pose that’s great for mobilizing your lower back, which can get cranky after long periods of staying still.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cranky
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Dictionary Entries Near cranky
Cite this Entry
“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cranky. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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