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
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Recent Examples of crabby
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
What Kate will not thank him for is being a big crabby baby about her relationship with Dennison.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crabby
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
What Kate will not thank him for is being a big crabby baby about her relationship with Dennison.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crabby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crabby
Adjective
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Some of the consequences of owing your body sleep are readily apparent, like feeling drowsy, irritable, or brain-foggy, or catching seemingly every virus.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
6 Jan. 2026
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Accompanying Rayner through these daily adventures were the irritable duck Chelveston (named after his English bomber base) and the gentle dog puppet Cuddly Dudley.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Unlike restless Nora, Agnes is married with a son, able to view her deeply flawed dad from the vantage point of both a daughter and mother.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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Many knitters describe the activity as a way to channel anxious or restless energy into something tangible.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
3 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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But for younger generations, Ron Howard's 2000 adaptation starring a ghoulishly grouchy Jim Carrey is just as essential.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The restaurant team wears its impressive training lightly, dipping into an encyclopedic knowledge of Sicilian wine and cheering up a grumpy toddler in the same breath.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
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Not all of the jokes work, but even the grumpiest theatergoers will find plenty of laughs.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Alabama held Arkansas to a season-low 48 points Sunday, and the result left Musick displeased.—
Ethan Westerman,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
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Denver head coach David Adelman was displeased with the Nuggets’ disposition on Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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You, me, a cranky little guy with white boots, a guy whose company was rife with Medicaid fraud.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Jan. 2026
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The Holdovers Set in 1970s New England, The Holdovers follows a cranky prep school teacher (Paul Giamatti) who reluctantly supervises students stuck on campus over Christmas break.—
Lydia Price,
PEOPLE,
23 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Trying to Kill Each Other' And Walken is marvelous — querulous, petty, cruel — as the Emperor.—
Tom Gliatto,
Peoplemag,
29 Feb. 2024
Adjective
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From a portable power bank to keep your phone charged to noise-canceling headphones that will drown out stressful sounds, these travel accessories will help nervous fliers and frequent travelers alike have easier journeys.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
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But now there's a new robo-tech in town, and my Roadie 3 is looking very nervous indeed.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crabby. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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