crankier; crankiest
1
a
: given to fretful fussiness : readily angered when opposed : crotchety
Our long wait … left us a tad cranky.—
Connecticut
Connecticut
b
: marked by eccentricity
… his bizarre and cranky mix of ideas and beliefs …—R. J. Evans
R. J. Evans2
: full of twists and turns : tortuous
a cranky road
3
: working erratically : unpredictable
a cranky old tractor
of a boat
Examples of cranky in a Sentence
Adjective (1)
that old typewriter is handy sometimes, but rather cranky these days
the baby was cranky after not being fed for hours
if cranky children don't appreciate what they already have, then they shouldn't get a thing more
that's just another of his cranky theories about the CIA
the man would inflict on innocent bystanders his cranky ruminations on world events
Recent Examples on the Web
John Lopez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Music writers used to have a reputation for being much crankier than the average listener.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
The experts think fiat money is mature and serious and the gold standard cranky, weird, and atavistic.
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The lawsuits said that beyond being an amenity passengers paid more for, window seats can help alleviate motion sickness or soothe cranky children, among other benefits.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cranky
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Of the roiling mass of restless natives, cranky artists and tattered idealists who rose up across the Southland this summer to flip off darkness and call America back to its better angels?
—John Lopez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Music writers used to have a reputation for being much crankier than the average listener.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
The experts think fiat money is mature and serious and the gold standard cranky, weird, and atavistic.
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The lawsuits said that beyond being an amenity passengers paid more for, window seats can help alleviate motion sickness or soothe cranky children, among other benefits.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Cite this Entry
“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cranky. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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