as in cantankerous
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curmudgeonly
Adjective
-
In time, Ian started laughing at other things too: stories Eve made up about a cantankerous Russian named Boris, the word debris, pots clanging, keys jangling.—
Sarah Zhang,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2025 -
Oldman’s performance in the show has been widely praised and he’s earned both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for playing the cantankerous head of Slough House, Jackson Lamb.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The ornery character actor Richard Kind is his announcer, barking non sequiturs from behind a podium.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
7 Apr. 2025
-
That puts him in league with ornery old-timers being refused entry into supermarkets, where customers queue outside, standing six feet apart.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 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
-
Commerce City police helped return a surly rattlesnake to the wild this month after a resident found the venomous reptile coiled in their home’s driveway.—
Max Levy,
Denver Post,
31 May 2025
-
The third reason to slip the surly bonds of Earth is that our air is extremely good at shielding us from many wavelengths of light our eyes cannot see.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
Lawrence’s new mother Grace is anything but as an irascible New Yorker who moves to rural Montana with her son and husband Jackson, played by Robert Pattinson.—
Thomas Page,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
-
Seeing irascible old coots soften when in the presence of cherubic little nuggets gets me every time.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Patrick is crotchety and dismissive of their overtures at first, but Bob and Jean talk him around with their passionate belief in the project and intriguing early research.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Adjective
-
Befriending Cressida Cowper is a respectable exercise in recognizing biases, but the pair’s interactions are as disagreeable as those bangs.—
Zoe Haylock,
Vulture,
16 May 2024
-
If Alex has a bit more credibility, not being as intractable in her positions, both have a tendency to come off as disagreeable in their incessant bickering and self-righteousness.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Under Nézet-Séguin, the musicians do the job spectacularly, releasing all those bilious harmonies and seething rhythms in an unbroken two-hour spasm of excitement.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2025
-
And Emily’s side of the family isn't much better, represented by her mean, bilious aunt (Allison Janney, herself no slouch in the hissing-authority department) and her boozy mother (Elizabeth Perkins, replacing Jean Smart from the first film).—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Curmudgeonly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curmudgeonly. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share