1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
a crabby old dog who snapped at passersby
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restless
given to complaining a lot
a bunch of crabby kids who don't want to do any work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of crabby
Her dissatisfaction with her crabby old husband drives her into the same state of amorous turmoil that Vanya and Sonya find themselves in.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Read the full Aries Daily Horoscope Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
In a crabby mood?
—USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
Take the Lishman’s Deli sketch, in which Murphy’s Gumby character — the green clay stop-motion figure reimagined as a crabby Borscht Belt has-been — trades insults with a gang of alter kockers played by Crystal, Guest and Short, who reminisce and argue about sandwiches named for celebrities.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
This time, however, she is joined by a crew consisting of an enthusiastic young engineer, a crabby senior farmer and a history-preserving storyteller.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 26 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crabby
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Read the full Aries Daily Horoscope Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
In a crabby mood?
—USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
Take the Lishman’s Deli sketch, in which Murphy’s Gumby character — the green clay stop-motion figure reimagined as a crabby Borscht Belt has-been — trades insults with a gang of alter kockers played by Crystal, Guest and Short, who reminisce and argue about sandwiches named for celebrities.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
This time, however, she is joined by a crew consisting of an enthusiastic young engineer, a crabby senior farmer and a history-preserving storyteller.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 26 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crabby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crabby
Adjective
-
Caroly is immediately affected, glued to the TV; John, suddenly irritable, retreats.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Rather than get irritable online, Medeiros did something positive about it.—
Dan Medeiros,
The Herald News,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Leo moon sparks your restless desires for fun and adventure.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Deep inside every atom lies a restless world of quarks and gluons—the tiny building blocks that hold everything together, from rocks to stars.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
Is Cronin a mad genius, or just a grumpy, old man coaching basketball?—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
-
If your child acts grumpy and tired after school, wait to ask them how their day was.—
Margery D. Rosen,
Parents,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
However, the 311-pound lineman looked displeased with himself following a 20-rep performance in the bench press.—
Darin Oswald,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Despite playing major minutes over the past week, Adebayo at one point in the first half turned to Spoelstra seemingly displeased with being subbed out.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
People get cranky with the change.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Lauren Michele Jackson, cultural critic, New Yorker staffer, and the author of White Negroes, finally weighed in with the One Battle After Another review this cranky sue has been waiting for.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In fact, the B-2 bombers were still in the air with hours to go before reaching home when Van Hollen issued his querulous statement.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Mar. 2026
-
This canonical part has been played by some of the foremost women of the British stage, among them Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Edith Evans, who, in Anthony Asquith’s 1952 film adaptation, put a delightfully querulous spin on Lady Bracknell’s most indelible lines.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
17 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Who isn’t nervous meeting the prospective in-laws for the first time?—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Jason Bateman delivers the mundane analogy like a pro, blending sincerity and uncertainty inside his singular, nervous vocal rhythms.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crabby. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
