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 WebPhilip Elliott, TIME, 26 June 2024
There are dozens and dozens of big thumbs-ups from happy customers, but your eye keeps landing on the few cranky complaints.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 21 June 2024
And cranky cat Chowder can’t help complicating everything.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 14 June 2024
Eric Bogosian, who plays the entertainingly cranky Daniel in the present-day interview scenes, might be the most familiar name in the cast.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for cranky 
Adjective
The goal, according to various memoirs and numerous deft books about the era, was to keep Trump happy because a cranky candidate was one who felt insecure and could say anything.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 26 June 2024
There are dozens and dozens of big thumbs-ups from happy customers, but your eye keeps landing on the few cranky complaints.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 21 June 2024
And cranky cat Chowder can’t help complicating everything.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 14 June 2024
Eric Bogosian, who plays the entertainingly cranky Daniel in the present-day interview scenes, might be the most familiar name in the cast.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for cranky
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cranky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cranky. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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