cranky

1 of 2

adjective (1)

ˈkraŋ-kē 

crankier; crankiest

1

a

: given to fretful fussiness : readily angered when opposed : crotchety

Our long wait … left us a tad cranky.

—Connecticut

b

: marked by eccentricity

… his bizarre and cranky mix of ideas and beliefs …

—R. J. Evans

2

: full of twists and turns : tortuous

a cranky road

3

: working erratically : unpredictable

a cranky old tractor

4

dialect : silly, eccentric

crankily

ˈkraŋ-kə-lē 

adverb

crankiness

ˈkraŋ-kē-nəs 

noun

cranky

2 of 2

adjective (2)

of a boat

: crank entry 5

Synonyms of cranky

Adjective (1)

• clumsy
• awkward
• cumbersome
• unwieldy

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

Adjective

If Elvis was ever cranky, that’s been stripped out. —Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 28 Feb. 2026

And what of Morrison’s famously cranky reputation? —Brett Milano, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2026

Thomas Jay Ryan was a funny, cranky Kramer, Will Brill a shrewd, amiable Fauci. —Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026

Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric. —Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

crank entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective (2)

1841, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cranky

• hanky
• lanky
• yankee

Kids Definition

cranky

adjective

ˈkraŋ-kē

crankier; crankiest

1

: easily angered or irritated

2

: hard to handle

a cranky boat

crankiness

-kē-nəs

noun