as in cantankerous
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cross-grained
Adjective
-
In time, Ian started laughing at other things too: stories Eve made up about a cantankerous Russian named Boris, the word debris, pots clanging, keys jangling.—
Sarah Zhang,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2025 -
Oldman’s performance in the show has been widely praised and he’s earned both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for playing the cantankerous head of Slough House, Jackson Lamb.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Befriending Cressida Cowper is a respectable exercise in recognizing biases, but the pair’s interactions are as disagreeable as those bangs.—
Zoe Haylock,
Vulture,
16 May 2024
-
If Alex has a bit more credibility, not being as intractable in her positions, both have a tendency to come off as disagreeable in their incessant bickering and self-righteousness.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Trying to Kill Each Other' And Walken is marvelous — querulous, petty, cruel — as the Emperor.—
Tom Gliatto,
Peoplemag,
29 Feb. 2024
-
Instead, Gerwig and Baumbach promote querulous sloganeering.—
Armond White,
National Review,
19 July 2023
Adjective
-
Under Nézet-Séguin, the musicians do the job spectacularly, releasing all those bilious harmonies and seething rhythms in an unbroken two-hour spasm of excitement.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2025
-
And Emily’s side of the family isn't much better, represented by her mean, bilious aunt (Allison Janney, herself no slouch in the hissing-authority department) and her boozy mother (Elizabeth Perkins, replacing Jean Smart from the first film).—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That puts him in league with ornery old-timers being refused entry into supermarkets, where customers queue outside, standing six feet apart.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2025
-
An ornery Ball Arena audience erupted when its team somehow grasped a 71-69 lead.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
Now, Stefani realizes that her own family members — including her surly teen brother, Charlie (Teo Briones), and her cousins Erik (Richard Harmon), Julia (Anna Lore), and Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner) — are next in line.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
-
Requests are taken for the next amendment, and a surly, very cool Matt (Goggins) has a one-word answer: guns.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
11 May 2025
Adjective
-
Lawrence’s new mother Grace is anything but as an irascible New Yorker who moves to rural Montana with her son and husband Jackson, played by Robert Pattinson.—
Thomas Page,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
-
Seeing irascible old coots soften when in the presence of cherubic little nuggets gets me every time.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
On a less peevish note: The entry is making its New York Times Crossword debut.—
Sam Corbin,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
-
Rojas’s recollections weren’t peevish—fine work was produced under these conditions.—
Ian Parker,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Cross-grained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cross-grained. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share