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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
the baby was cranky after not being fed for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cranky
Tired and cranky, the former New Jersey Governor lumbered onto a bus ferrying passengers back to the terminal, where the woman seated beside him started unpacking the unpredictable state of politics, particularly President Donald Trump’s chaotic first few weeks back in power.
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Philip Elliott, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
Opioid users often arrived in the E.R. in withdrawal — sick to their stomachs, cranky, itchy, mean.
—Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Among the notable voice talents are Isla Fisher as an intrepid TV reporter, Stephen Root as Petey’s cranky father, and, in smaller roles, Laraine Newman, Cheri Oteri, Melissa Villaseñor, and Kate Micucci.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2025
Fox this month also premiered a half-hour comedy, Going Dutch, starring a cranky (though not notoriously right-wing) actor — Denis Leary — that revolves around characters in the military.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Philip Elliott, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
Opioid users often arrived in the E.R. in withdrawal — sick to their stomachs, cranky, itchy, mean.
—Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Among the notable voice talents are Isla Fisher as an intrepid TV reporter, Stephen Root as Petey’s cranky father, and, in smaller roles, Laraine Newman, Cheri Oteri, Melissa Villaseñor, and Kate Micucci.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2025
Fox this month also premiered a half-hour comedy, Going Dutch, starring a cranky (though not notoriously right-wing) actor — Denis Leary — that revolves around characters in the military.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranky
Adjective
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Unlike clumsier species that struggle with obstacles, the black mamba leverages every surface with surgical precision, effectively turning the landscape into a series of launchpads.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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There’s also a touching subplot for the clumsy, muted Dopey (Andrew Barth Feldman), who’s regularly the butt of the other dwarfs’ jokes.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Strong winds also may have North Texans feeling more irritable, which scientists blame on there being too many positive ions in the air.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Mar. 2025
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Signs of overextension burnout include feeling emotionally drained, becoming irritable and struggling to focus—all of which can affect both your work and personal life.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Her absence has left USC fans stunned and the women’s college basketball world restless.—
Chantel Jennings,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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In the titular novel, restless lumberjacks plan a dance under the condition that some of them will attend as women.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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On her first series, the actress played the furry and funny Honk on the Kroffts’ Far Out Space Nuts, a character who spoke only in horn-like honks.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2025
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Welcome to My Blue Sky is twice as great — totally brash, always loud, always effusive, and usually funny even when their lives are falling apart, which is constantly.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2025
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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While Susan’s style gets all the attention, there’s a story to be told in Roberta’s awkward glow-up, too.—
Scarlett Harris,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
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The timing is awkward for Google, coming just days after Microsoft’s latest warning implying users would be safer switching from Chrome to Edge.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Many praised him for protecting his personal space, and other owners highlighted just how grumpy their own dogs can be too.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
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Swells surge then abate, storms get grumpy but never plausibly murderous.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But their work didn’t rule out the possibility of bizarre algorithms that could somehow use the same piece of memory for storage and calculations simultaneously—the computing equivalent of using a page filled with important notes as scratch paper.—
Ben Brubaker,
Wired News,
30 Mar. 2025
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The movie, based on the video game of the same name, centers around four misfits who are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranky. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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