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
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
Blowouts, the baby being cranky, an ear infection, all these things happen so often.
—Kiara Byrd, Essence, 21 Apr. 2025
Both are highly cushioned, so your feet won’t feel cranky or fatigued by the end of the day.
—Sara Coughlin, SELF, 16 Apr. 2025
Fifteen years after her husband’s drowning in the nearby bay, Tressilian’s days are spent in a cranky routine: grumbling over the obscene resort stationed on the opposite bluff, reading London’s gossip columns, and summoning the household help with the insistent ringing of a bedroom call bell.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Thomas had a long and prolific career, right up to his final years, despite his health woes and a famously cranky personality that could curdle soup across the room.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
Blowouts, the baby being cranky, an ear infection, all these things happen so often.
—Kiara Byrd, Essence, 21 Apr. 2025
Both are highly cushioned, so your feet won’t feel cranky or fatigued by the end of the day.
—Sara Coughlin, SELF, 16 Apr. 2025
Fifteen years after her husband’s drowning in the nearby bay, Tressilian’s days are spent in a cranky routine: grumbling over the obscene resort stationed on the opposite bluff, reading London’s gossip columns, and summoning the household help with the insistent ringing of a bedroom call bell.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 15 Apr. 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 6 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share