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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cranky
In Santander’s 10 games before missing the Seattle series with a cranky shoulder, the 30-year-old had four extra-base hits and an .833 OPS.
—
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 14 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 14 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranky
Adjective
-
This is a huge bonus for a clumsy gal like myself, who often trips over air.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
People.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
The scale of the problem became terrifyingly clear during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the Japanese government struggled to respond to a nationwide crisis with clumsy digital tools.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Avi tries to comfort his grieving (read: irritable) mother by saying at least his grandmother and grandfather are together again in Heaven.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 Aug. 2025
-
For years men have blamed divorce on menopause and said women are irritable and irrational, says Alyx Coble-Frake, founder of The Agenda, an app that helps women track their menstrual cycle to help increase productivity.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In fact, for a subgroup of participants who showed high hyperarousal symptoms early on, such as being extremely on edge, restless or unable to relax, emotional debriefing actually made their symptoms worse compared to the control group.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
-
At those, Democrats restless about their party’s direction grumbled at Levin’s answers and urged more action from their leaders; one event was disrupted by protests over Israel’s killing of Palestinians in Gaza.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Ramirez described Flores as a humble, funny and caring person.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Scattered Thoughts: The digs at 30 Seconds To Mars were funny and telling.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But, sadly, this can be hard to repair once too far gone; naming the dynamic out loud can be daunting and awkward.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
India wants all three guests to remain seated, however awkward the conversation may be.—
Spriha Srivastava,
CNBC,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Golden smiles for the picture but makes a grumpy face in a second photo, sitting alongside her older sister Sterling Skye, 4.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
16 July 2025
-
Golden smiled for the picture but made a grumpy face in a second photo, sitting alongside her older sister, Sterling.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The indictment of Adams’ former top advisor came a day after another member of Adams’ inner circle became embroiled in a bizarre apparent bribery attempt involving a news reporter.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
-
This descriptor originated from internet memes about bizarre scenarios happening in the state of Ohio.—
Mia Thurow,
jsonline.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Streamlining The Boarding Process With Mobile Scanning After the check-in comes the cumbersome boarding process.—
Samuel Mueller,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
-
If this is cumbersome for me, a privacy advocate, what does the public at large think about it?—
Justyn Newman,
PC Magazine,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranky. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share