as in irritability
readiness to show annoyance or impatience
overtired children are often prone to crankiness
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Recent Examples of crankiness
How to handle it A lot of Virgo’s crankiness can be soothed with helping them get organized and practice self-compassion.
—
Maressa Brown,
Parents,
18 June 2026
Bumping into someone wasn’t met with frustration, but with a grin and a comment about the Knicks, as if the entire city had agreed to give each other a pass from the stereotypical crankiness for one single night.
—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Poor sleep leads to more than just crankiness A cranky kid after a bad night’s sleep is bad enough.
—
Avery Newmark,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
And remember, most Californians are running on an hour less sleep today, so drive a little slower and blame your crankiness on the time change.
—
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
The most common symptoms of teething include drooling, putting fingers or fists in their mouth, swollen or puffy gums, difficulty sleeping, crankiness and fussiness, per the institution.
—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
At one point, her crankiness about being underappreciated for her domestic efforts is blamed, without irony, on her period.
—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
8 Aug. 2025
Maressa Brown,
Parents,
18 June 2026
Bumping into someone wasn’t met with frustration, but with a grin and a comment about the Knicks, as if the entire city had agreed to give each other a pass from the stereotypical crankiness for one single night.
—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Poor sleep leads to more than just crankiness A cranky kid after a bad night’s sleep is bad enough.
—
Avery Newmark,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
And remember, most Californians are running on an hour less sleep today, so drive a little slower and blame your crankiness on the time change.
—
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
The most common symptoms of teething include drooling, putting fingers or fists in their mouth, swollen or puffy gums, difficulty sleeping, crankiness and fussiness, per the institution.
—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
At one point, her crankiness about being underappreciated for her domestic efforts is blamed, without irony, on her period.
—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crankiness
irritability
Noun
-
Symptoms include extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping and dehydration.
-
Heat exhaustion symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, irritability, thirst, heavy sweating, high body temperature and decreased urine output.
Cite this Entry
“Crankiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crankiness. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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