grumpy

adjective

ˈgrəm-pē 

grumpier; grumpiest

: easily and often annoyed or angered : surly

grumpily

ˈgrəm-pə-lē 

adverb

grumpiness

ˈgrəm-pē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of grumpy

• irritable

Examples of grumpy in a Sentence

Our neighbor is a grumpy old man.

I was feeling grumpy after my long flight.

Recent Examples on the Web

The cast is led by Tolman, with Grier playing the grumpy emergency physician Ron. — Selome Hailu, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026

Jeremy Swift returns as Higgins, and Brett Goldstein reprises his role of the grumpy former footballer, Roy Kent. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026

There were fires to put out; an unbalanced squad, unsettled players, grumpy fans, some truly dispiriting defeats. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026

Cats used to be the internet’s punchline, as grainy clips of keyboard solos and grumpy faces dropped into our feeds for a quick laugh. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for grumpy

• bumpy
• dumpy
• jumpy
• lumpy
• stumpy