1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
a lack of sleep would make anyone grouchy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of grouchy
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
Townsend will play Norm Stinson, an excellent (and grouchy) veteran basketball coach who knows how to get the best out of his teams, but not always how to communicate.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
Leading up to kickoff of Belichick’s debut at Chapel Hill, college football, this community and certainly the TV networks were thrilled with the prospect of this grouchy old man turning an irrelevant football team into something worth watching.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grouchy
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
Townsend will play Norm Stinson, an excellent (and grouchy) veteran basketball coach who knows how to get the best out of his teams, but not always how to communicate.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
Leading up to kickoff of Belichick’s debut at Chapel Hill, college football, this community and certainly the TV networks were thrilled with the prospect of this grouchy old man turning an irrelevant football team into something worth watching.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grouchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grouchy
Adjective
-
Manic episodes are described as prolonged periods of mood instability, in which a person can experience extreme increases in energy or euphoria, or alternatively, feel depressed or unusually irritable.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Lack of sleep can lead to a range of problems, including feeling more irritable.—
Michelle Mastro,
The Spruce,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Stella’s restless energy in wanting to fix things spurs her to arrange an impromptu trip for them to Amsterdam.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
But Weir appeared to roll with it, and the idea of writing new material with Furthur — his and Lesh’s project, without Hart or Kreutzmann, who weren’t invited — appealed to his restless creativity.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Emmy winner Ray Romano joins as Norm Stinson, a grumpy but skilled veteran coach who knows how to push his players — just not always in the smoothest way.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Feb. 2026
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The home crowd, grumpy and disillusioned a few weeks earlier, are now cheering the team off the pitch.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Lucy Van Pelt Lucy is the crabby kid who always has something up her sleeve.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Leah stayed crabby through dinner.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But he's done so at a political cost – with polls showing a growing number of Americans displeased or opposed.—
Michelle Stoddart,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Gonzaga coach Mark Few, no doubt displeased that Santa Clara made seven of its first nine shots in the half, called for a timeout.—
Jeff Faraudo,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric.—
Joseph Serna,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This canonical part has been played by some of the foremost women of the British stage, among them Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Edith Evans, who, in Anthony Asquith’s 1952 film adaptation, put a delightfully querulous spin on Lady Bracknell’s most indelible lines.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
17 Nov. 2025
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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
Adjective
-
Almonds, chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, chia, and flax are rich in magnesium and omega-3s, helping to support nervous-system and hormonal balance.—
Mélanie Defouilloy,
Vogue,
24 Feb. 2026
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And to be perfectly fair, nervous gratuitous laughter at stupid jokes is not unknown among anyone, including the press corps.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grouchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grouchy. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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