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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
the baby was cranky after not being fed for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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 cranky
It’s spoken by Jaques, a cranky courtier from the entourage of Duke Senior, living in banishment in the Forest of Arden.
—
Matthew Gurewitsch, Air Mail, 16 Aug. 2025
Don’t be cranky, but don’t be timid, either.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Matthew Gurewitsch, Air Mail, 16 Aug. 2025
Don’t be cranky, but don’t be timid, either.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranky
Adjective
-
The rubber sole is also important for clumsy gals like myself.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Camels seem slow, hippos clumsy, phoenixes unstable, lions lazy.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
He was adopted two weeks later, but after 18 months in his home, Scoob developed a painful skin condition that caused his ears to bleed and left him extremely irritable.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Instead, Helen is allowed to be irritable and anti-social, chain-smoking and snappish, without the filmmaker casting judgment.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Of the roiling mass of restless natives, cranky artists and tattered idealists who rose up across the Southland this summer to flip off darkness and call America back to its better angels?—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
-
While his wife and daughter build a new life in Vienna, Roman stays behind — confused, restless and convinced that things will get better.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Zambians are warm, funny, proud.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Darkly funny and deeply melancholic, the film turns the family estate into a pressure cooker of grief, grudges and reluctant affection.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
While there is little doubt about the outcome of the Fed meeting, there are still questions over who exactly will be voting—setting up some very awkward dynamics.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
-
This leaves the broader discourse around Kirk’s assassination in an awkward position, deprived of the certainty that so many crave.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Lorraine beams with pleasure, while Ed registers grumpy disapproval like every dad in every family sitcom ever.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The puns are enough to make even the grumpiest of reporters giggle.—
David Wysong,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But everything changes when a string of gruesome killings—which grow increasingly bizarre, with victims covered in rashes and found in deranged, violent states—involves his young daughter Hyo-jin (Kim Hwan-hee).—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Paxton’s interest in Paul’s plight was bizarre, obsessive and so far beyond normal operations at the attorney general’s office that the agency’s top officials struggled to convey their concerns during the hourslong meeting with two FBI agents.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The result is slow, siloed and cumbersome for all parties involved.—
Jason Truppi,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Kazlauskas told Ars that about 300 users can be added each day due to the cumbersome and allegedly shifting process for porting over data.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranky. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share