crabby

adjective

ˈkra-bē How to pronounce crabby (audio)
Definition of crabbynext
1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed a crabby old dog who snapped at passersby

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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
  1. irritable
  2. restless
  3. grouchy
  4. grumpy
  5. displeased
  6. cranky
  7. querulous
  8. nervous
Adjective
  • The product immediately calmed down my irritable, rosacea-prone skin while delivering intense hydration that lasted all day.
    — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 31 Aug. 2026
  • How skipping breakfast affects kids at school Nemours KidsHealth reports that kids who miss the morning meal often feel tired, restless or irritable by midmorning.
    — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • But Timeless is the first release of unheard recordings since 2023, and fans grew restless in the interim, circulating petitions and open letters asking for more from Prince’s storied vaults.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Turner played a restless man drafted into the British Army in the years after World War II.
    — L. Sue Baugh, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of restless
Adjective
  • Hig has bunkered down with a grouchy companion, Bangley (Josh Brolin), who thrives in this harsh world.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Everything about it was meant to be a corrective against that straight white, grouchy private detective.
    — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of grouchy
Adjective
  • There was another version where Daniela was grumpy and dark, the complete opposite of Maria.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The cast is led by Tolman, with Grier playing the grumpy emergency physician Ron.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of grumpy
Adjective
  • Public Broadcast Laboratory was displeased with her footage of Coleman and Denardo and cancelled the film.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Vitello fervently defended Adames the day after the broadcast, and Adames was plenty displeased with how he was framed.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of displeased
Adjective
  • Brolin is cranky, colorful and memorable as a survivor who didn’t get that way by accident.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
  • There were interceptions, incompletions and a few tussles from cranky and competitive players on a hot and humid New England morning.
    — Zach Berman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of cranky
Adjective
  • The American right, too, is in a shifting, querulous state.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Definition of querulous
Adjective
  • Nvidia's forecast comes at a time when investors remain nervous about capital expenditures from large tech companies, the circular nature of financing deals and the return from AI investments.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Why bats can pose a rabies risk Rabies spreads through the saliva or nervous tissue of an infected mammal, usually through a bite.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of nervous

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crabbing
crabby
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Cite this Entry

“Crabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crabby. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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