1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
a grumpy neighbor whose yard we had long ago learned not to trespass
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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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Recent Examples of grumpy
The roles taken by Burić, the grumpy coach, Romeo, who plays a scary janitor, and Löwensohn, who is the academy’s strict yet maternal manager, allowed Chryssos to toy with sports world tropes.
—
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 9 May 2026
At times, Riley’s arguments about the way things used to be done come off as a grumpy old man and his lawn.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
He was trained by colorful and often grumpy Mel Stute, who was, like Shoemaker, a fixture at Santa Anita.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Following his selection, an emotional Simpson spoke with Sean McVay on the phone in a conversation that made headlines due to what appeared to be a grumpy reaction from his new head coach.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grumpy
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 9 May 2026
At times, Riley’s arguments about the way things used to be done come off as a grumpy old man and his lawn.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
He was trained by colorful and often grumpy Mel Stute, who was, like Shoemaker, a fixture at Santa Anita.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Following his selection, an emotional Simpson spoke with Sean McVay on the phone in a conversation that made headlines due to what appeared to be a grumpy reaction from his new head coach.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grumpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grumpy
Adjective
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That’s because the Moon is at odds with Mars today and everyone is irritable.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
-
What are the symptoms of irritable bowel disease?—
Lindy Segal,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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All the junior right-hander had to do was retire Arvada West’s Levi Lueck with the tying runs in scoring position and nobody in the restless crowd sitting at All-Star Park.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
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Based in New Orleans and Paris, Eloueini Architecture is celebrated for designing houses that fold, twist, stagger and float with a restless energy that belies the simplicity of their forms.—
Fred Albert,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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That Utah rideshare driver, however, was justifiable more grouchy.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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Flockhart is equally supportive of Ford, having expressed her joy at watching her husband’s performance as the grouchy, oft-deadpan therapist.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Such displeased denizens might appreciate Bar Snack, a cocktail lounge that was recently named one of the country’s best new bars.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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Reunion host Andy Cohen was displeased in a Threads post.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The American right, too, is in a shifting, querulous state.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
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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
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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All Cayenne Electric models feature adaptive suspension, but even in Comfort mode, the Coupe felt harsh and nervous on bumpy roads.—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
26 May 2026
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In this Gallic Neverland, there’s not a safety helmet (or nervous parent) in sight, which admittedly adds to the film’s feral energy.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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Strangely, no one seems to notice until cranky, grieving widower Sam (Alfred Molina) moves in.—
Maira Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
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By the mid-1980s, King was both a prolific source of inspiration for major auteurs like Brian De Palma, Stanley Kubrick, David Cronenberg, and John Carpenter, and an often cranky critic of their adaptations.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grumpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grumpy. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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