crotchety

adjective

crotch·​ety ˈkrä-chə-tē 

1

: given to crotchets (see crotchet sense 2a) : subject to whims, crankiness, or ill temper

a crotchety old man

a crotchety critic

2

: full of or arising from crotchets

a crotchety style

Crotchety twilight-of-life drama.

—Entertainment Weekly

crotchetiness

ˈkrä-chə-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• choleric
• crabby
• cranky
• cross
• fiery
• grouchy
• grumpy
• irascible
• irritable
• peevish
• perverse
• pettish
• petulant
• prickly
• quick-tempered
• raspy
• ratty
• short-tempered
• snappish
• snappy
• snarky
• snippety
• snippy
• stuffy
• testy
• waspish

Examples of crotchety in a Sentence

None of the students dared to talk back to the crotchety old teacher.

I get crotchety after a long day at work.

Recent Examples on the Web

Patrick is crotchety and dismissive of their overtures at first, but Bob and Jean talk him around with their passionate belief in the project and intriguing early research. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019

There are no shaky limbs in Wolfs, though there are some creaky joints, and an Advil joke—because aches and pains are a thing men can joke about, charmingly, while women who do the same run the risk of coming off as crotchety old complainers. —Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 20 Sep. 2024

The narrators of these stories are crotchety, easily nettled by the behaviors of other passengers. —Jasmine Liu, The New Republic, 24 Oct. 2023

Not to mention mostly crotchety baseball writers, the most tenured of which make up the Hall of Fame voting electorate. —Dallas News, 20 Jan. 2023

Word History

Etymology

see crotchet

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

crotchety

adjective

crotch·​ety ˈkräch-ət-ē 

: subject to whims, crankiness, or ill temper

crotchetiness

-ē-nəs 

noun