grouchy

adjective

ˈgrau̇-chē How to pronounce grouchy (audio)
Definition of grouchynext
1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed a lack of sleep would make anyone grouchy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restless
given to complaining a lot a grouchy kid who refuses to eat his vegetables

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 grouchy For now, the contrast between Martin and his patients has a productive friction that gives Charles plenty of grouchy misanthropy to work with. — Alison Herman, Variety, 4 Jan. 2026 Drawing inspiration from partner Matt Sieve’s Midwestern roots, the 5,000-square-foot restaurant takes its name from a notoriously grouchy cook who ran his family’s 100-year-old restaurant in Alexandria, Minnesota. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Dec. 2025 But for younger generations, Ron Howard's 2000 adaptation starring a ghoulishly grouchy Jim Carrey is just as essential. — Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Dec. 2025 In last week's two-episode premiere we were introduced to the happiness pandemic that's spread around the world and the harrowing story of the one grouchy woman left to save the planet from unbridled happiness. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grouchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grouchy
  1. irritable
  2. restless
  3. grumpy
  4. crabby
  5. displeased
  6. cranky
  7. querulous
  8. nervous
Adjective
  • Perelman said people who have weakened immune systems and those with irritable bowel disease may want to talk to their doctors before incorporating the foods into their diet.
    — Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • The symptoms are so delayed that people often blame them on food poisoning, irritable-bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • Between a home with three young children and a pediatric clinic crowded with restless kids, the noise at times felt relentless.
    — Dana Suskind, Time, 14 July 2026
  • From the volatile peaks of Mount Etna to the restless Phlegraean Fields near Naples, understanding these unique gas signatures is important for assessing volcanic hazard.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026
Definition of restless
Adjective
  • With his bushy beard and a grumpy demeanor that belies a tender-hearted soul, Neill was destined to play a role like Hector.
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026
  • Could the court compel the moose to become squinty-eyed and grumpy?
    — Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of grumpy
Adjective
  • For the priests, this was a case of demonic possession due to witch-craft, and Mary’s crabby, aloof neighbor Elizabeth Jackson was the prime witch suspect.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The show followed the destitute Cuylers — father Early, his illegitimate son Rusty, his meth-loving sister Lily, and his crabby grandmother Granny — and their various moneymaking high jinks.
    — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of crabby
Adjective
  • The Firm is, unsurprisingly, displeased at the idea of more dirty laundry coming to light.
    — Emma Banks, InStyle, 7 July 2026
  • The shot sailed over the bar before England keeper Jordan Pickford shouted at his defenders, clearly displeased with the lack of resistance in their own half.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026
Definition of displeased
Adjective
  • In the film, Field portrays Tova, the cleaning lady who bonds with the somewhat cranky Marcellus, an octopus wise behind his years, in Netflix’s screen adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt’s bestselling novel.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 8 July 2026
  • But in the meantime, add this tech-device sticker shock to the pile of other inflationary drivers — the price at the pump, noticeably higher grocery bills, rising housing costs (especially in Chicago) — making people cranky.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Definition of cranky
Adjective
  • The American right, too, is in a shifting, querulous state.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
  • In fact, the B-2 bombers were still in the air with hours to go before reaching home when Van Hollen issued his querulous statement.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026
Definition of querulous
Adjective
  • Some nervous observers are going so far as to swear off salads and other raw fruits and vegetables until the outbreak has run its course.
    — Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026
  • But Griffin’s recent donation to Moody is not the only indication Republicans could be more nervous about Florida than the Senate races in other bright-red states.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
Definition of nervous

Browse Nearby Words

grouching
grouchy
ground
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grouchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grouchy. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on grouchy

Nglish: Translation of grouchy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All