1
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
that old typewriter is handy sometimes, but rather cranky these days
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2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
the baby was cranky after not being fed for hours
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3
as in restless
given to complaining a lot
if cranky children don't appreciate what they already have, then they shouldn't get a thing more
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in funny
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion
that's just another of his cranky theories about the CIA
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cranky
Say goodbye to cranky bath times when these toys are tossed into the tub.
—
Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 10 July 2025
Those who watched the livestream set fired off some cranky tweets about her performance, which Charli decided to respond herself the next morning.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
The 1972 novel follows the life of mercurial 6-year-old Sophia and her cranky and unsentimental, but loving, grandmother.
—Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
There isn’t one interesting new character, despite the effort from Hammer, Kerry Washington, Nathan Fillion, and Chris Cooper as Lightning’s cranky new trainer.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 10 July 2025
Those who watched the livestream set fired off some cranky tweets about her performance, which Charli decided to respond herself the next morning.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
The 1972 novel follows the life of mercurial 6-year-old Sophia and her cranky and unsentimental, but loving, grandmother.
—Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
There isn’t one interesting new character, despite the effort from Hammer, Kerry Washington, Nathan Fillion, and Chris Cooper as Lightning’s cranky new trainer.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranky
Adjective
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Any move to unify systems and say goodbye to clumsy data management couldn't be more crucial—or opportune.—
Charles Crouchman,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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Every summer a disposable camera was tucked into my camp bag, where clumsy photos, often with a thumb peeking in, were snapped with reckless abandon.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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SSRIs are linked to a condition called neonatal adaption syndrome, in which infants are born jittery, irritable and with abnormal muscle tone.—
Andrew Novick,
The Conversation,
31 July 2025
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Frequently, kids who suppress emotions at school come home irritable in a low-key fashion at home.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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The crowds were restless this weekend at Wrigley Field, where fans booed Tucker during Sunday’s 4-3 comeback victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
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Both Justine and Archer, at odds with each other initially, find a sense of purpose for their restless energy in investigating the disappearance themselves.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Adam Johnson, The Orphan Master’s Son Set in contemporary North Korea, this epic, harrowing, and darkly funny novel follows a man caught in a totalitarian machine.—
Mark Nevins,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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However, Perry apparently didn’t find the post funny.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Kyler Murray completed seven of his eight passes, with one awkward misread going for a pick: Third-year running back Bam Knight busted out on a 27-yard rush, and his backfield teammate Emari Demercado took a screen pass all the way to the house.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
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The coming weeks are the slow limp forwards that Putin wants: Tension between Trump and Zelensky first, followed by European pressure on Trump to ease off on Zelensky, followed by awkward and technical stalling over a three-way meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelensky.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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At Castle Leathers, Murtagh is grumpy and sulking because Ellen has been promised to another… which Brian definitely did not know.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
15 Aug. 2025
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Golden smiled for the picture but made a grumpy face in a second photo, sitting alongside her older sister, Sterling.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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After a couple of insulting caricatures, increasingly bizarre depictions of the Vice President started to spread through the internet, the trend becoming a competition to see who could create the most hideous, weird or original Vance.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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These clever yet bizarre gadgets are both fun and oddly useful.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Over time, these staffs have ballooned in size, making coordination cumbersome.—
Benjamin Jensen,
The Conversation,
18 Aug. 2025
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Some trays are completely lacking in handles, which can be cumbersome to lift and carry.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranky. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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