Synonyms of crank

crank 1 of 3

noun

ˈkraŋk 

1

as in crab

an irritable and complaining person

he's always a crank until he has his morning coffee

Synonyms & Similar Words

• crab
• bear
• complainer
• mutterer
• curmudgeon
• hunks
• grump
• grouser
• sourpuss
• kicker
• growler
• griper
• grumbler
• whiner
• grouch
• fusser
• murmurer
• crosspatch
• bellyacher
• sorehead
• killjoy
• party pooper
• spoilsport
• defeatist
• pessimist
• quibbler
• hypochondriac
• grinch
• crock
• faultfinder
• nitpicker
• nagger
• malcontent
• objector
• repiner

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• optimist
• Pollyanna
• happy camper

2

as in eccentric

a person of odd or whimsical habits

she's a bit of a crank, but still a good-hearted person

Synonyms & Similar Words

• eccentric
• nut
• character
• original
• crackpot
• flake
• piece of work
• screwball
• weirdo
• kook
• crack
• oddball
• wacko
• codger
• loony
• nutter
• fruitcake
• maverick
• freak
• loon
• nutcase
• head case
• rarity
• zany
• odd duck
• quiz
• crackbrain
• oddity
• bohemian
• geezer
• coot
• nonconformist
• quixote
• curio
• fantast
• fantastico

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sheep
• follower
• conformer
• conformist

3

as in whim

a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action

his endless and unpredictable cranks made spending time with him exhausting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• whim
• freak
• bee
• kink
• caprice
• notion
• maggot
• fancy
• impression
• humor
• whimsy
• vagrancy
• vagary
• megrim
• image
• thought
• fantasy
• bee in one's bonnet
• picture
• concept
• fancifulness
• capriciousness
• freakishness
• whimsicality
• impetuosity
• conceit
• conception
• inspiration
• brainstorm
• mind's eye

crank

2 of 3

adjective

chiefly dialect

1

as in triumphant

having or expressing feelings of joy or triumph

you shouldn't feel so crank, considering that you beat the worst softball team in the league

Synonyms & Similar Words

• triumphant
• proud
• ecstatic
• arrogant
• exultant
• jubilant
• rejoicing
• crowing
• exulting
• glorying
• prideful
• cock-a-hoop
• victorious
• euphoric
• cocky
• boastful
• winning
• elated
• conquering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• defeated
• depressed
• downcast
• disconsolate
• dispirited
• dejected
• crestfallen

2

as in joyful

joyously unrestrained

folks around here are downright crank that a local boy won a gold medal in the Olympics

Synonyms & Similar Words

• joyful
• lively
• bubbly
• exuberant
• lyric
• gay
• frolic
• bouncy
• effervescent
• buoyant
• frolicsome
• giddy
• ecstatic
• vivacious
• outgoing
• uninhibited
• gamesome
• bold
• silly
• high-spirited
• raucous
• extroverted
• rowdy
• boisterous
• rollicking
• sprightly
• lighthearted
• carefree
• rapturous
• impudent
• brazen
• insouciant
• saucy
• insolent
• euphoric
• overexuberant
• brash
• impertinent
• happy-go-lucky
• audacious
• light-headed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sullen
• repressed
• inhibited
• restrained
• subdued
• constrained
• depressed
• stolid
• phlegmatic
• low-spirited
• impassive
• surly
• stoic
• morose
• dour
• glum

crank

3 of 3

verb

as in to wind

Related Words

• wind
• reel
• coil
• screw
• circulate
• twiddle
• spin
• rotate
• wheel
• unscrew
• pivot
• revolve
• turn
• swirl
• swivel
• swing
• roll
• twist
• whirl
• twirl

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of crank

Noun

The newer Schnierle hardware with which Wellhouse is working in the iCamper cranks this adjustability up considerably. — New Atlas, 24 July 2026

The whole debacle left me shaking my head like a Waldorf and Statler-style old-timey crank, openly nostalgic for a time in which music took up more space, demanded more of us, and didn’t have to be so uplifting. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Verb

Your air conditioner will likely crank up a bit with plenty of sunshine to go around. — Bill Kelly, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Don’t crank up your air conditioner to ease the burden on your refrigerator. — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026

Phrases Containing crank

• crank (up)