as in cantankerous
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Recent Examples of curmudgeonly
The new movie will chronicle the horrific origin story of Haymitch Abernathy (played by Joseph Zada), the beloved, curmudgeonly alcoholic who served as a reluctant mentor to Katniss and Peeta in the franchise's first four films.
—
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
Anna immediately clocks that Larry, a curmudgeonly old man transported back to his younger self, is in for a tough ride.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 20 Nov. 2025
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
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
Anna immediately clocks that Larry, a curmudgeonly old man transported back to his younger self, is in for a tough ride.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 20 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curmudgeonly
Adjective
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In Christmas Vacation, Marshall portrayed Ellen's cantankerous father, Art Smith.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
26 Dec. 2025
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Iran’s cantankerous elite came together, and the public remained passive.—
Ray Takeyh,
Foreign Affairs,
4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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With its abundance of concrete, startling interior views, and play of deep shadows, the design invokes the ornery inventiveness of Kahn and Paul Rudolph, combined with the corporate sleekness of MoMA’s most recent iterations by Yoshio Taniguchi and Diller Scofidio + Renfro.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
3 Nov. 2025
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At 0-2, the Chiefs may be a little more ornery than usual.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Trying to Kill Each Other' And Walken is marvelous — querulous, petty, cruel — as the Emperor.—
Tom Gliatto,
Peoplemag,
29 Feb. 2024
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Instead, Gerwig and Baumbach promote querulous sloganeering.—
Armond White,
National Review,
19 July 2023
Adjective
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Everyone is welcoming and warm—other than a free-roaming ostrich, curious and slightly surly, which keeps skittish guard over the entire site.—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
21 Dec. 2025
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Remember how in 2023 when swarms of these surly, entitled freeloaders suddenly materialized – in Terminal E, of all places.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
28 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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But Kael sensed in her less dyspeptic moments that there was something special about Redford.—
Stephen Galloway,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As a ballplayer, Kent was as irascible as Bonds; the two alphas reportedly brawled behind clubhouse doors, and famously clashed in the dugout during a 2002 game, when Bonds lunged for Kent’s throat and pushed him against the wall.—
Jeremy Collins,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
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Nothing adds depth to an irascible curmudgeon quite like an irrational love of pets that do not love you back.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
3 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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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
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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 9 Jan. 2026.
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