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
Oscar’s grouchy shell hides a strangely tender soul, which is classic Scorpio.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 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
When Vivian Powers went to foster a new kitten, she was pulled in by a cat's grouchy face.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for grouchy
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 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
When Vivian Powers went to foster a new kitten, she was pulled in by a cat's grouchy face.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for grouchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grouchy
Adjective
-
Some of the consequences of owing your body sleep are readily apparent, like feeling drowsy, irritable, or brain-foggy, or catching seemingly every virus.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Accompanying Rayner through these daily adventures were the irritable duck Chelveston (named after his English bomber base) and the gentle dog puppet Cuddly Dudley.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Unlike restless Nora, Agnes is married with a son, able to view her deeply flawed dad from the vantage point of both a daughter and mother.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Many knitters describe the activity as a way to channel anxious or restless energy into something tangible.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
3 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And Carol is really taking to the task, grumpy throughout the two-minute trailer, while the world tries and fails to turn her frown upside down.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
-
But, wishes aside, Patterson was cast as Danes, the grumpy but kindhearted diner owner at the heart of the show’s romance between his character and Lauren Graham’s Lorelai Gilmore.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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
-
Alabama held Arkansas to a season-low 48 points Sunday, and the result left Musick displeased.—
Ethan Westerman,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Denver head coach David Adelman was displeased with the Nuggets’ disposition on Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
You, me, a cranky little guy with white boots, a guy whose company was rife with Medicaid fraud.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Jan. 2026
-
The Holdovers Set in 1970s New England, The Holdovers follows a cranky prep school teacher (Paul Giamatti) who reluctantly supervises students stuck on campus over Christmas break.—
Lydia Price,
PEOPLE,
23 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
From a portable power bank to keep your phone charged to noise-canceling headphones that will drown out stressful sounds, these travel accessories will help nervous fliers and frequent travelers alike have easier journeys.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
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But now there's a new robo-tech in town, and my Roadie 3 is looking very nervous indeed.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grouchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grouchy. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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