1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
a grumpy neighbor whose yard we had long ago learned not to trespass
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restless
given to complaining a lot
the baby's sure to be grumpy if she doesn't get her afternoon nap
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grumpy
At Castle Leathers, Murtagh is grumpy and sulking because Ellen has been promised to another… which Brian definitely did not know.
—
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 Aug. 2025
If faced with a bruin, my guess is that Go would leap over the grumpy bear, dunk a basketball, and then sprint to safety.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 7 Aug. 2025
Which only makes her grumpier than usual.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Other characters include a talkative nurse, a wise parrot named Leonard, and a grumpy cat named Bitchy.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for grumpy
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 Aug. 2025
If faced with a bruin, my guess is that Go would leap over the grumpy bear, dunk a basketball, and then sprint to safety.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 7 Aug. 2025
Which only makes her grumpier than usual.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Other characters include a talkative nurse, a wise parrot named Leonard, and a grumpy cat named Bitchy.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for grumpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grumpy
Adjective
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Instead, Helen is allowed to be irritable and anti-social, chain-smoking and snappish, without the filmmaker casting judgment.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
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If you are rushed or irritable, say so.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Despite its importance, many of us still wrestle with insomnia, restless nights or mornings that leave us feeling less than refreshed.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
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Children who have experienced traumatic stress may be restless, fidgety, or have trouble paying attention and staying organized, symptoms often confused with ADHD.—
Patricia Fersch,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Sep. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Sanders was certainly displeased after the loss to the Yellow Jackets.—
Shane Shoemaker,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
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Expert weighs in Fain is under a critical gaze and a barrage of criticism, with a watchdog monitor on one side and displeased members charging from the other.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
6 Aug. 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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Attend the Fiddler Crab Festival Every February over Presidents’ Day weekend, the three-day Fiddler Crab Festival brings crabby fun and community pride to Steinhatchee.—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
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Her dissatisfaction with her crabby old husband drives her into the same state of amorous turmoil that Vanya and Sonya find themselves in.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Against Świątek, in two nervous moments, one of them on match point, net cords had given her safe harbor.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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The district’s disparate parts would be connected largely by two-lane highways cutting through steep slopes of places such as the Modoc National Forest, where nervous drivers must beware of a lack of guardrails.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Music writers used to have a reputation for being much crankier than the average listener.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
2 Sep. 2025
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The experts think fiat money is mature and serious and the gold standard cranky, weird, and atavistic.—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grumpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grumpy. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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