as in irritable
having or showing a habitually bad temper
a cantankerous old woman who insisted that nothing should ever be allowed to change
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Recent Examples of cantankerous
There’s a nice thread of That Christmas that eventually focuses on a budding friendship between Danny and his neighbor and teacher Ms. Trapper (Fiona Shaw), a cantankerous woman who makes the Grinch seem amiable.
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Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Oct. 2024
Walker says one touchpoint was the cantankerous Muppet critics Statler and Waldorf.
—Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Because the umpire, a cantankerous aging hippie, goes by the book, the game nearly doesn’t happen at all, when one guy’s obliviousness to game time risks his team being a player short.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2024
Island life is energetically rendered, and there’s an appreciation for details too — from the splinters on the giant tree an industrial beaver (Matt Berry) gnaws at daily to the fine hairs on cantankerous grizzly bear Thorn (Mark Hamill).
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cantankerous 
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Oct. 2024
Walker says one touchpoint was the cantankerous Muppet critics Statler and Waldorf.
—Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Because the umpire, a cantankerous aging hippie, goes by the book, the game nearly doesn’t happen at all, when one guy’s obliviousness to game time risks his team being a player short.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2024
Island life is energetically rendered, and there’s an appreciation for details too — from the splinters on the giant tree an industrial beaver (Matt Berry) gnaws at daily to the fine hairs on cantankerous grizzly bear Thorn (Mark Hamill).
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cantankerous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cantankerous
Adjective
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Even if a more irritable side of her personality has emerged, there’s no excuse for cruelty.R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
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In worst-case scenarios, pain can cause a dog to be more irritable and aggressive, like if a human had a severe headache and couldn't tolerate social interaction, Enomoto said.Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Early this year, the company had a PR problem as angry customers raged online about higher menu prices.Allison Morrow, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
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Advertisement When questioned about the next day’s testimony, Netanyahu became visibly angry.Tia Goldenberg, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The toy comes to life, fends off some ornery mice with his sword and leads Clara through a wintry dreamworld of dancing Christmas treats.Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 Dec. 2024
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Throughout the movie, the ornery Scrooge (played by George C. Scott) is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Way too little accountability Florida’s sweeping 2023 voucher expansion gives any parent in Florida roughly $8,000 in private school tuition to escape the surly bonds of a public system state lawmakers won’t adequately fund.Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 16 May 2024
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There are coaches in the Premier League currently unable to navigate an interview without a surly comment or flash of ego.Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 1 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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Rufo should know this, at which point someone who caucuses with the right should be pleased to keep his own, frequently laudatory views (there’s much that’s disagreeable about DEI, ESG and other acronyms) separate from government force at all levels.John Tamny, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
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Some repel deer with a disagreeable taste, such as hot pepper.Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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And while there is enough splenetic wit and manic detail to generate obsessive fandom (entire sections of Web sites are dedicated to deciphering just what Kenny is mumbling), subjects like alien abduction, genetic engineering, and Kathie Lee are hardly original targets for satire.Chris Norris, SPIN, 13 Aug. 2022
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Meanwhile, the commentator and controversialist Piers Morgan, an obsessively close observer and relentless critic of Meghan, inevitably waded in with his usual splenetic views.Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 17 Sep. 2022
Adjective
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Not altogether surprising because the proliferation of guns and incendiary political rhetoric over the past few decades — and especially the last few bilious years — made the shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, Pa., seemingly just a matter of time.Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2024
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The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) Rampant exposure to this movie on cable suggests that Scorsese’s bilious portrait of Jordan Belfort may soon join GoodFellas as one of the director’s most intensely rewatchable efforts.Will Leitch, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Cantankerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cantankerous. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
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