CRABBY Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

crabby

adjective

ˈkra-bē

Definition of crabby

as in irritable

easily irritated or annoyed a crabby old dog who snapped at passersby

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Lucy Van Pelt Lucy is the crabby kid who always has something up her sleeve. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026 Leah stayed crabby through dinner. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025 Attend the Fiddler Crab Festival Every February over Presidents’ Day weekend, the three-day Fiddler Crab Festival brings crabby fun and community pride to Steinhatchee. — Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 5 July 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for crabby

Recent Examples of Synonyms for crabby

Adjective

Coach There’s no better feeling than walking into your last show of the day, irritable and hungry, only to discover that snacks are being served.

— Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
If a relative or housemate seems irritable, ask what’s going on instead of working around the mood.

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of irritable

Adjective

Recorded in Texas and rooted in the sound of the border, Bobby Pulido’s enduring classic turns restless longing into warm, danceable energy.

— qygwork, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2026
But just like other Caribbean giants such as Puerto Rico’s Ismael Rivera and the Dominican Republic’s Johnny Ventura, Sparrow’s restless creative persona transcended the limits of the dance genres that blossomed around him.

— Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of restless

Adjective

Kraft, his teammates and coaches have been giving the fans plenty to be displeased about.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
The Wolverines looked out of sorts for most of the night, and Whittingham was visibly displeased with their performance.

— Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of displeased

Adjective

But Democrats are arguing that Trump is going to red states like Alabama because Republicans are nervous.

— Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
The admittedly nervous executive started Monday’s news conferences by apologizing to the Clippers’ faithful for the aftermath of the Leonard situation.

— Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of nervous

Browse Nearby Words

crabbing

crabby

crabs

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Crabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crabby. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of crabby

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

slew

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes