curmudgeon

noun

cur·mud·geon | \ (ˌ)kər-ˈmə-jən

Definition of curmudgeon

1 : a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man

2 archaic : miser

Other Words from curmudgeon Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about curmudgeon

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Other Words from curmudgeon

curmudgeonliness \ (ˌ)kər-ˈmə-jən-lē-nəs

\ noun

curmudgeonly \ (ˌ)kər-ˈmə-jən-lē

\ adjective

Examples of curmudgeon in a Sentence

At his quirky best, the elder Cooper is a curmudgeon right out of central casting, grumpy old man meets borscht-belt crank. He really does fiddle with his hearing aid and yell, "What? I can't hear you," only to chide you afterward that there's no need to shout. — Norah Vincent, New York Times Book Review, 19 Feb. 2006 We were in Edinburgh visiting the in-laws. I was, as usual, being a grumpy old curmudgeon. My people don't travel well. — David Mamet, Jafsie and John Henry Essays, 1999 Oh, he had the reputation for being a curmudgeon, and he didn't suffer fools gladly, and often he seemed to have no tolerance for people at all. — Robertson Davies, The Lyre of Orpheus, 1989 only a curmudgeon would object to the nursing home's holiday decorations

Recent Examples on the Web

When put into real-life practice, the phrase can do remarkable things to change even the staunchest winter curmudgeon’s mood. — Vogue, "Day 12: Embrace the Cold," 12 Nov. 2018 With each disembodied quote, with each one-way transmission, he is reduced to a Luddite and a curmudgeon and a hater and a snob and worse. — New York Times, "Jonathan Franzen Is Fine With All of It," 26 June 2018 There was never any shortage of exclamation points online, nor a shortage of curmudgeons to bemoan their ubiquity. — Julie Beck, The Atlantic, "Exclamation Point Inflation," 27 June 2018 And most liberals — who may well find the characterization here of Scalia as a lovable, kind, brilliant and principled curmudgeon infuriating — would not disagree. — Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, "'The Originalist' at Court Theatre has a tricky job in portraying Antonin Scalia," 21 May 2018 Rick Nichols, the esteemed Inquirer food columnist emeritus, is always the Brewvi’s favorite curmudgeon, with a fondness for classic finesse and a sharp wit to keep the trendy pretenders in check. — Craig Laban, Philly.com, "A panel of experts in beer and wit," 10 May 2018 Harold Bornstein has the visage of an aged hippie and the demeanor of one of history's great curmudgeons. — Aaron Blake, Washington Post, "Why the ‘raid’ of Trump’s former doctor isn’t just a funny sideshow," 2 May 2018 San Antonio — For most NBA fans, the enduring image of Spurs’ coach Gregg Popovich is the curmudgeon who treats TV sideline reporters with contempt, and sometimes aims withering sarcasm at postgame media. — Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, "Warriors mourn loss of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s wife, Erin," 19 Apr. 2018 Which reaction is appropriate: the futurist’s, or the curmudgeon’s? — Benedict Carey, New York Times, "The First Step Toward a Personal Memory Maker?," 12 Feb. 2018

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