crabby

adjective

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crab·by | \ ˈkra-bē

crabbier; crabbiest

Definition of crabby

informal

: easily irritated : peevish and irritable : grouchy a crabby recluse He gets crabby if he doesn't have his morning coffee. She was in a crabby mood and got a certain amount of satisfaction out of pushing her sister's buttons.— Isis Crawford

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Examples of crabby in a Sentence

She gets crabby if she doesn't get enough sleep. a crabby old dog who snapped at passersby

Recent Examples on the Web Lorne Michaels’ show is actually getting general plaudits from typically crabby critics. — Rodney Ho, ajc, 15 Dec. 2021 The musical, while meant to appeal to crabby commuters of all stripes, is not meant to vilify the T or its workers. — BostonGlobe.com, 20 Oct. 2021 Oh no! Don't get crabby, but your summertime feasts may look a little different this year. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2021 Sure, there’s a plot: a mayoral race to rig, a friendship to repair, a crabby romance to kickstart. — K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2021 But Clooney—who also stars, as a crabby, obsessive scientist bearing the comically hifalutin name Augustine Lofthouse—is at the very least a thoughtful filmmaker, and The Midnight Sky is made with obvious care. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 Dec. 2020 The Cleveland Browns’ postseason drought grew from a crabby and cranky toddler into an exasperating adolescent. — Ben Shpigel, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2020 Gizelle Bryant campaigned for The Real Housewives of Potomac to ditch their champagne title sequences and get crabby. — Marcus Jones, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2020 These classic little baits can work any time, but when it’s cold and smallmouths get really crabby, a hair jig can catch them when nothing else will. — Dave Hurteau, Field & Stream, 22 Apr. 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crabby.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.