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
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
But the election highlights a San Francisco in flux and a still cranky, even emboldened electorate as leaders prepare to make tough decisions about the city’s future.
—Janie Har, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Instead of scrolling Twitter, read something about a cranky, divorced loser, like The Invisibility Cloak by Ge Fei, and translated by Canaan Morse.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2025
Of the roiling mass of restless natives, cranky artists and tattered idealists who rose up across the Southland this summer to flip off darkness and call America back to its better angels?
—John Lopez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cranky
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Adjective
Reeves is a cranky, deadpanning Estragon, wallowing in frustration as his gangly limbs swing, unwillingly turning to his friend but also welcoming the help, the hugs.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
But the election highlights a San Francisco in flux and a still cranky, even emboldened electorate as leaders prepare to make tough decisions about the city’s future.
—Janie Har, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Instead of scrolling Twitter, read something about a cranky, divorced loser, like The Invisibility Cloak by Ge Fei, and translated by Canaan Morse.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2025
Of the roiling mass of restless natives, cranky artists and tattered idealists who rose up across the Southland this summer to flip off darkness and call America back to its better angels?
—John Lopez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 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 3 Nov. 2025.
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