grouchier; grouchiest
Synonyms of grouchynext
somewhat informal
: tending to complain : peevish sense 3
grouchily adverb
grouchiness noun

Examples of grouchy in a Sentence

I get grouchy when I'm tired. a lack of sleep would make anyone grouchy
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
That Utah rideshare driver, however, was justifiable more grouchy. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026 Flockhart is equally supportive of Ford, having expressed her joy at watching her husband’s performance as the grouchy, oft-deadpan therapist. Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026 Today, a Luddite is your grandparent who keeps looking at the screen rather than the camera when on Zoom, the Boomer who types in all-capital letters, the grouchy man who refuses to get a smart phone, the professor spewing invective against Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok. Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026 For now, the contrast between Martin and his patients has a productive friction that gives Charles plenty of grouchy misanthropy to work with. Alison Herman, Variety, 4 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grouchy

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grouchy was circa 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Grouchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grouchy. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.

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