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
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
Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 10 July 2025
Those who watched the livestream set fired off some cranky tweets about her performance, which Charli decided to respond herself the next morning.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
The 1972 novel follows the life of mercurial 6-year-old Sophia and her cranky and unsentimental, but loving, grandmother.
—Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
There isn’t one interesting new character, despite the effort from Hammer, Kerry Washington, Nathan Fillion, and Chris Cooper as Lightning’s cranky new trainer.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cranky
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Adjective
Say goodbye to cranky bath times when these toys are tossed into the tub.
—Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 10 July 2025
Those who watched the livestream set fired off some cranky tweets about her performance, which Charli decided to respond herself the next morning.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
The 1972 novel follows the life of mercurial 6-year-old Sophia and her cranky and unsentimental, but loving, grandmother.
—Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
There isn’t one interesting new character, despite the effort from Hammer, Kerry Washington, Nathan Fillion, and Chris Cooper as Lightning’s cranky new trainer.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Cite this Entry
“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cranky. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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