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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
By the mid-1980s, King was both a prolific source of inspiration for major auteurs like Brian De Palma, Stanley Kubrick, David Cronenberg, and John Carpenter, and an often cranky critic of their adaptations.
—
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
Their characters, Tova, a 70-year-old widow, and Cameron, a 30-something searching for his father, become unlikely friends thanks, in part to a cranky and wise octopus named Marcellus (Alfred Molina) who lives in the aquarium where Tova cleans at night.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
Elon Musk seems tired and cranky.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
The often-cranky Jerry Lewis opened up to them multiple times.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
Their characters, Tova, a 70-year-old widow, and Cameron, a 30-something searching for his father, become unlikely friends thanks, in part to a cranky and wise octopus named Marcellus (Alfred Molina) who lives in the aquarium where Tova cleans at night.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
Elon Musk seems tired and cranky.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
The often-cranky Jerry Lewis opened up to them multiple times.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranky
Adjective
-
After the zapfest on Earth, the anti-climactic tussle between the forces of good and evil occurs back on Eternia, where He-Man and his nemesis cross swords in a clumsy fight that’s not only predictable but also photographed and edited poorly.—
Jeffrey Ressner,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
-
The simple walking pattern adopted by fish, which the Cambridge researchers call an ‘undulating tripod gait’, can appear to be quite clumsy and involves too much flopping.—
Abhishek Bhardwaj,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
But Maguire, now 43, became sad and irritable, and didn’t want to be around his newborn.—
Keith Wagstaff,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
Additionally, Owens' youngest child, Titus, who was just a toddler when his mother died, was confused, irritable and inconsolable in the weeks after her death, Dias shared.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The fans are getting restless and exceedingly tired of watching the same story unfold day after day.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
-
Of course, an occasional restless night may not be cause for concern, and most people experience them from time to time.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
To work with Ed Asner, at that point, how funny would that have been?—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
There are frequent funny asides and philosophical musings.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The disparity has forced Goldman into the awkward position of defending a seat he’s held for two terms by running, at least in part, as the outsider.—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
-
Between see-through fabrics, ill-fitting straps, and awkward hemlines, there are plenty of misses.—
Better Homes & Gardens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
In Kennedy’s original series, Dean and Allie’s love story happens in Book Three, The Score, after the follow-up book The Mistake, which tracks the grumpy sunshine romance of John Logan (Antonio Cipriano) and Grace Ivers (India Fowler).—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
-
Their season has been busy, grumpy and overstretched, and pressure has been a niggling, constant companion, particularly at home, but their opponents on Sunday were hapless, soft in defence and muddled in their thinking.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Then, to make the situation more bizarre, Arnaldi and Cobolli held a press conference together in the same room despite the former being sick and the latter being two days away from playing in a Grand Slam final.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
7 June 2026
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The astronauts reported bizarre smells, and had issues flushing urine outside the spacecraft as designed.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Frette linen bathrobes were soft, not overly cumbersome like most robes tend to be.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
The first image in the exhibition announced the playful tenor of the oversize works, which often verged on the ludic despite the lack of spontaneity owing to the cumbersome Land Camera.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranky. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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