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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5
as in psychotic
dialect
having or showing a very abnormal or sick state of mind
the man would inflict on innocent bystanders his cranky ruminations on world events
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of cranky
In the present day, his cranky, gray-haired father (played by a cranky, gray-haired Kevin Kline) is stalking the adult Ravenscroft (Blanchett) to exact revenge for what happened to her son all those 20 years ago in Italy.
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Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2024
Schiff was Toby Ziegler, the cranky Communications Director, who is often seen as Bartlet’s liberal conscious and author of his major speeches, before he is fired from the administration in later seasons for leaking classified information about a secret space shuttle.
—Peter White, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2024
Whereas Sajak occasionally let slip some cranky uncle-type comments, especially in his later years, Seacrest’s banter is still a bit on the stiff side.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2024
Joo Won Kang perfectly embodies Rocco, Marcellina’s prison guard father, roughing up his enveloping baritone with cranky gruffness whenever it was called for.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cranky 
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2024
Schiff was Toby Ziegler, the cranky Communications Director, who is often seen as Bartlet’s liberal conscious and author of his major speeches, before he is fired from the administration in later seasons for leaking classified information about a secret space shuttle.
—Peter White, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2024
Whereas Sajak occasionally let slip some cranky uncle-type comments, especially in his later years, Seacrest’s banter is still a bit on the stiff side.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2024
Joo Won Kang perfectly embodies Rocco, Marcellina’s prison guard father, roughing up his enveloping baritone with cranky gruffness whenever it was called for.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cranky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranky
Adjective
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Where Huang’s wardrobe for Oz emphasizes his position as a clumsy social climber, aspiring to classic mafia masculinity but too crass to fit in with the old-money elite, Sofia represents a different kind of outsider.Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
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Jessica Carter Altman always thought of herself as clumsy.Jeryl Brunner, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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On Monday, after Rodgers and former head coach Robert Saleh had spent several months bickering over topics such as unexcused absences and cadence, the irritable quarterback won out again.Rob Reischel, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
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Within a couple of weeks of wearing the buds, my ears stopped having the irritable side effects.Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 3 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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If motion isolation is a priority, look for a mattress that has features that help minimize motion transfer and reduce sleep disturbances if one partner is restless or active throughout the night.Nina Derwin, Architectural Digest, 31 Oct. 2024
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This subconscious alertness can lead to lighter and more restless sleep, known as unihemispheric slow-wave sleep.Anita Bhagwandas, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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This simultaneously funny and profound musical spins around a teenage girl (the lovable Carolee Carmello) suffering from a rare genetic disease that makes her age five times faster than normal.Karen D'Souza, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
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The jokes just aren’t funny enough — though there is one killer line about Shehzada, which was one of Aaryan’s major flops — and the scares aren’t terrifying enough.Anupama Chopra, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The counselor also told police Trotman had had a previous psychotic break in which he was found wandering the woods.Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023
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Lewis prescribed Price anti-psychotic medication after a mental health referral Sept. 1.Thomas Saccente, Arkansas Online, 17 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Jennings read the clue with a slightly awkward tone, then immediately apologized to Heather after it was answered.Gabriella Rudy, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Krieps, playing Jill possessed by Elizabeth, gets slighter colder, more rigid, and more awkward.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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But with every diachronic update comes a new disruptor, and 5.0 offers up its own grumpy hero. Enter charming Nerd Face (Tuânminh Albert Ðo).David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024
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But The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning mostly just uses its answering of any lingering questions (how did the grumpy old guy lose his legs?Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Physicists debated for decades (opens a new tab) whether this bizarre superfluid-solid hybrid could exist.Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
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When her favorite author from childhood reemerges with a new book and a chance to win the only existing copy, Lucy sets out to win this bizarre competition filled with riddles and games.The Courier-Journal, The Courier-Journal, 4 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranky. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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