curmudgeon

noun

cur·​mud·​geon (ˌ)kər-ˈmə-jən How to pronounce curmudgeon (audio)
1
: a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man
2
archaic : miser
curmudgeonliness noun
curmudgeonly adjective

Examples of curmudgeon in a Sentence

At his quirky best, the elder Cooper is a curmudgeon right out of central casting, grumpy old man meets borscht-belt crank. He really does fiddle with his hearing aid and yell, "What? I can't hear you," only to chide you afterward that there's no need to shout. Norah Vincent, New York Times Book Review, 19 Feb. 2006
We were in Edinburgh visiting the in-laws. I was, as usual, being a grumpy old curmudgeon. My people don't travel well. David Mamet, Jafsie and John Henry Essays, 1999
Oh, he had the reputation for being a curmudgeon, and he didn't suffer fools gladly, and often he seemed to have no tolerance for people at all. Robertson Davies, The Lyre of Orpheus, 1989
only a curmudgeon would object to the nursing home's holiday decorations
Recent Examples on the Web And, behind closed doors, not exactly the gruff curmudgeon who presents after his team drops a game (or even wins). Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024 So, is Virgin River setting us up to say goodbye to our favorite curmudgeon? Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Sep. 2023 That’s when Elmo ran afoul of Curb’s central curmudgeon, who lost it then and physically attacked the puppet, in what appears to have been an unscripted moment. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2024 But The Real Housewives of Potomac stars/Green-Eyed Bandits Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon are now in a trademark battle with Oscar-winning curmudgeon and noted lyrical assassin Eminem. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 28 Dec. 2023 The side macro keys are a pain, though, and the curmudgeon in me would rather disable them than learn to move the keyboard from its bottom or right side. Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 18 Feb. 2023 Even as a self-defeating curmudgeon, Wright exudes a virtually irresistible appeal. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2023 This fuzzy green hermit has become synonymous with Christmas-hating curmudgeons and greedy holiday buzzkills worldwide since Dr. Seuss introduced him in his 1957 children's book of the same name. Mike Miller, Peoplemag, 17 Dec. 2023 Charles Munger is a 72-year-old lawyer and investor, a curmudgeon who lives in Los Angeles, 1,300 miles and a two-hour time difference from Buffett’s headquarters in Omaha, Neb. Munger and Buffett complement each other beautifully. Matt Schifrin, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curmudgeon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of curmudgeon was in 1568

Dictionary Entries Near curmudgeon

Cite this Entry

“Curmudgeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curmudgeon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

curmudgeon

noun
cur·​mud·​geon kər-ˈməj-ən How to pronounce curmudgeon (audio)
: a grumpy and usually old man
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!