curmudgeon

cur·mud·geon

noun \(ˌ)kər-ˈmə-jən\

Definition of CURMUDGEON

1

archaic : miser

2

: a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man

— cur·mud·geon·li·ness \-lē-nəs\ noun

— cur·mud·geon·ly \-lē\ adjective

Examples of CURMUDGEON

1. <only a curmudgeon would object to the nursing home's holiday decorations>
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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

Origin of CURMUDGEON

origin unknown

First Known Use: 1568

Related to CURMUDGEON

Synonyms: bear, bellyacher, complainer, crab, crank, croaker, crosspatch, grouch, fusser, griper, grouser, growler, grumbler, grump, murmurer, mutterer, sourpuss, whiner

Related Words: hunks; malcontent, sorehead; grinch, killjoy, party pooper, spoilsport; defeatist, pessimist; faultfinder, kicker, nagger, nitpicker, objector, quibbler, repiner; crock [slang], hypochondriac

Near Antonyms: optimist, Pollyanna; happy camper

[+]more[-]hide