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
Morgan Freeman, 'Million Dollar Baby' (2005) The best picture-winning boxing drama paired up-and-coming boxer Maggie (Hilary Swank) with grumpy reluctant coach Frankie (Clint Eastwood).
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
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
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
All the fresh ingredients, inventive recipes, meticulous plating and glorious design means nothing if my food is served by a grumpy waiter or if my water glass is dirty.
—Lynne Sullivan, The Providence Journal, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grumpy
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
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
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
All the fresh ingredients, inventive recipes, meticulous plating and glorious design means nothing if my food is served by a grumpy waiter or if my water glass is dirty.
—Lynne Sullivan, The Providence Journal, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grumpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grumpy
Adjective
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Perhaps through feeling more irritable, more anxious, or wanting to isolate.—
Joy Harden Bradford,
AJC.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Had my symptoms maybe been put down to irritable bowel, for example, that could’ve been ongoing and ongoing and ongoing for a much longer period of time.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Attempts to engage with restless residents who worried about where the whole effort was headed.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
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Inside, the Electric Mayhem band will be cranking out new tunes as the first-ever Audio-Animatronics figure of Scooter and some audio engineer penguins do their best to convince them to stop jamming to get to their increasingly restless fans across town.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 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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Rui Hachimura, who led the Lakers with 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting, was pulled for Thiero just 2½ minutes into the game after Redick was visibly displeased with his veteran forward’s defensive performance, pointing and shouting at Hachimura after calling a timeout.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
8 Apr. 2026
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Todd Kesterson of Kaufman Rossin said his remorseful clients aren't necessarily strapped for cash, but are frequently displeased when their children's fortunes exceed theirs.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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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
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Lucy Van Pelt Lucy is the crabby kid who always has something up her sleeve.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This project made Cooper nervous for several reasons.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
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The players looked worked up at times and the fans are nervous.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Nobody wants a cranky lizard on their hands — literally — and the keeper’s careful approach to handling Big Al shows exactly why patience matters.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2026
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People get cranky with the change.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grumpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grumpy. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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