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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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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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
  • 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
  • One of the clumsiest parts of Klosterman’s book is his attempts at political punditry.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • 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
  • Coach There’s no better feeling than walking into your last show of the day, irritable and hungry, only to discover that snacks are being served.
    — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • Snapping open and shut the phone satisfied some deep, restless urge, and the same was true for the rotational flourish of the wrist involved in opening and closing the knife.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The basal ganglia get better at their job during the first thirty years of life; this is partly why kids are more impulsive and restless than adults.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of restless
Adjective
  • Underneath the celebrity and the tabloid headlines is someone who’s vulnerable, funny and desperately trying to hold her life together.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The book’s humor is sharp and merciless, akin to that of a standup comedy show, and yet the things described are far from funny.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of funny
Adjective
  • The latest unit retains the same first six forward ratios as the outgoing Carrera T’s manual transmission, but ditches its predecessor’s somewhat awkward and largely superfluous seventh gear.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Unsurprisingly, writers have developed a myriad of strategies and tricks to push through this awkward stage.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of awkward
Adjective
  • Fear not, as the country has finally introduced a rulebook for leasing grumpy, humpy dromedaries.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • And the younger bears are giving him plenty of reasons to be grumpy.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of grumpy
Adjective
  • But at the center of this story is a man named Michael Organ who turns out to be a bizarre, seemingly dangerous conman.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Aside from spreading fear and anxiety through the agricultural labor force — which might be the point, if the hope is many will self-deport — the surge is having some other bizarre and probably unintended consequences.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Adjective
  • Less cumbersome portable hifi listening Accessibility Innovations improving life for the elderly and people with disabilities.
    — Time, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Though there are other techniques for directly locating explosives, these tend to be cumbersome and can only detect explosives in bulk, while MineReader is as portable as a conventional detector rig.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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