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curmudgeon

noun

(ˌ)kər-ˈmə-jən How to pronounce curmudgeon (audio)
Definition of curmudgeonnext
as in crab
an irritable and complaining person only a curmudgeon would object to the nursing home's holiday decorations

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 curmudgeon Though Sam is a card-carrying curmudgeon, his next-door neighbor Jack (Bill Pullman) isn’t deterred from inviting him over for a barbecue. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 May 2026 An appreciation for one of the dining world’s great curmudgeons. — Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026 While some filmmakers, like Darren Aronofsky, considered his harsh critiques a badge of honor, Reed's colleagues remembered him as more than just a curmudgeon. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 12 May 2026 The David Hockney–esque Julian was a star of the ’60s and ’70s but has spent the past three decades in prolonged retreat, living off his notoriety and persona as an art curmudgeon — first as a judge on a reality-competition show and, more recently, on Cameo. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for curmudgeon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curmudgeon
  1. crab
  2. complainer
  3. bear
  4. crank
  5. grump
Noun
  • Spicy tuna and crab mix was held in the temperature danger zone almost at ambient temperature.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • They are found from Cape Cod to Florida and eat fish, smaller sharks, octopus, squid, eels, rays, shrimp and crab.
    — Neal Riley, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of crab
Noun
  • My ‘Deborah Vance Show senior writer’ persona was kind of a rude complainer with an incipient alcohol problem.
    — Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Are they deluded into thinking that the complainers are just a squeaky wheel minority and the majority of fans are happy with it?
    — Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of complainer
Noun
  • In Gold Hill, Sullivan's brother-in-law solved the bear-in-Toyota problem by tugging a rope tied to a door handle.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Bringing lions, elephants, bears or crocodiles to Rome from the furthest reaches of the Empire was a way of displaying the extent of the world Rome had conquered.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of bear
Noun
  • In the ever more precarious world of academia, the neck of the principled luddite crank might be particularly attractive when institutions swing the axe in the next round of layoffs.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In 2022, a group calling itself the America First SOS Coalition endorsed a slate of cranks and quacks who ran for secretary of state in 14 states, including the presidential battlegrounds of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of crank
Noun
  • While Hockney worked, Auden, as the artist recalled, played the part of the impatient, irritable grump.
    — Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
  • Youngman said Adelman was misunderstood and mischaracterized as something of a grump without personality.
    — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Definition of grump

Browse Nearby Words

curly
curmudgeon
curmudgeonliness
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Cite this Entry

“Curmudgeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curmudgeon. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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