as in cantankerous
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Recent Examples of curmudgeonly
Diporto has no menu—dishes are read out by the curmudgeonly but beloved proprietor Dimitris Koliolios.
—
Katherine Whittaker, Saveur, 9 Oct. 2025
The Leafs winger leans more on the delightfully curmudgeonly side.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Gary Oldman stars as the curmudgeonly Jackson Lamb, who leads MI5, a unit full of low-level spies that includes Jack Lowden’s River Cartwright.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2025
O’Neill is playing the mom’s curmudgeonly father-in-law who seems intent on making everyone’s life miserable.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 22 Sep. 2025
Gary Oldman plays Jackson Lamb in the series, the curmudgeonly and flatulent chief of Slough House where all the MI5 misfits are sent.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Dunham and his characters, which include Peanut the Woozle, Jose Jalapeño on a Stick, curmudgeonly Walter and Ahmed the Dead Terrorist, have made nine comedy specials for Comedy Central, NBC and other TV and cable networks and streaming platforms.
—Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 6 Aug. 2025
Katherine Whittaker, Saveur, 9 Oct. 2025
The Leafs winger leans more on the delightfully curmudgeonly side.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Gary Oldman stars as the curmudgeonly Jackson Lamb, who leads MI5, a unit full of low-level spies that includes Jack Lowden’s River Cartwright.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2025
O’Neill is playing the mom’s curmudgeonly father-in-law who seems intent on making everyone’s life miserable.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 22 Sep. 2025
Gary Oldman plays Jackson Lamb in the series, the curmudgeonly and flatulent chief of Slough House where all the MI5 misfits are sent.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Dunham and his characters, which include Peanut the Woozle, Jose Jalapeño on a Stick, curmudgeonly Walter and Ahmed the Dead Terrorist, have made nine comedy specials for Comedy Central, NBC and other TV and cable networks and streaming platforms.
—Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curmudgeonly
Adjective
-
Gertrude watched her brother alienate his friends, sapped of mental energy, and increasingly cantankerous.—
Via Scribner,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
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Getty portrayed the cantankerous but charming matriarch Sophia Petrillo, the mother of Arthur's character, and McClanahan played the flirtatious Southern belle Blanche.—
Ashley Hume , Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
At 0-2, the Chiefs may be a little more ornery than usual.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
22 Sep. 2025
-
The goal is to capitalize on the holidays when kids will be out of school and eager to see some ornery avians.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Trying to Kill Each Other' And Walken is marvelous — querulous, petty, cruel — as the Emperor.—
Tom Gliatto,
Peoplemag,
29 Feb. 2024
-
Instead, Gerwig and Baumbach promote querulous sloganeering.—
Armond White,
National Review,
19 July 2023
Adjective
-
Plaza joined the roster as police officer MG Falcone, Honey’s surly love interest.—
Luna Adler,
Vogue,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Linda hustles the two of them to a nearby motel whose only employees are a surly young goth attendant (a glowering Ivy Wolk) and a sympathetic, mildly flirty super (A$AP Rocky, laidback and breezy).—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But Kael sensed in her less dyspeptic moments that there was something special about Redford.—
Stephen Galloway,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Shot in Calgary, the show is from Kurt Sutter but the irascible writer-producer stepped away from the drama in October of 2024.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
-
If the lead-up to Benfica’s visit, and even the game itself, had the feel of a reunion at times, there were still flashes of the irascible Mourinho of old.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The tale she’s lived to tell emerges, for all its crotchety complaints, from a place of unerring loyalty.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
-
As the Platinum Chalice status holder, Adomian adopts an old man’s slow gait and crotchety American geriatric voice to yet another ovation.—
John Roy,
Vulture,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
Over the weekend, reports emerged that the higher tariffs followed a disagreeable Thursday phone call between Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Trump — which Swiss officials rejected, according to Reuters.—
Sophie Kiderlin,Jenni Reid,
CNBC,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Trump and his supporters prefer a happy history, a pleasant history that arouses patriotism by overlooking disagreeable people and despicable events that sully the nation’s reputation and mar the magnificence of the American story.—
William C. Hine,
Twin Cities,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Curmudgeonly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curmudgeonly. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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