curmudgeon
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of curmudgeon
First recorded in 1570–80; unexplained; perhaps cur-, representing cur
Explanation
Old, cranky, and more than a little stubborn, a curmudgeon is the gruff, grey-haired neighbor who refuses to hand out candy at Halloween and shoos away holiday carolers with a "bah humbug!" As fickle and stubborn as the type of person it describes, curmudgeon comes to us without a history, its origins undisclosed. It was originally believed to have come from coeur mechant, the French phrase for “evil heart,” but that theory has been long discarded. Don't worry though, you’ll know a curmudgeon when you see one: He’ll be ill-tempered and miserly, eager to shake his fist and spout disagreeable opinions.
Vocabulary lists containing curmudgeon
St. Patrick's Day Vocabulary: Words With Irish and Gaelic Roots
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Scrooge, Grinch, and Churl: Wonderful Words for Unpleasant People
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Curmudgeon, Cantankerous and Churlish: Grouchy Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was a gimmick I conjured along with my friend Jeff Siegel, who blogs as The Wine Curmudgeon, to urge other wine writers to focus on “wine from around here, wherever here happens to be.”
From Washington Post • Oct. 6, 2022
A long, long time ago there lived a smart, funny, nice and beautiful Fairy Princess who met a Curmudgeon and decided to spend some time with him.
From Salon • Feb. 13, 2020
Their Curmudgeon Film projects included the movies My Sister’s Keeper and Cold Moon, a suspense thriller set for release in October, Griff Furst said.
From The Guardian • Jun. 18, 2017
This episode of Working is brought to you by Josh Fruhlinger’s Comics Curmudgeon.
From Slate • Mar. 21, 2017
Ash copied the word into his dictionary, in the following manner: Curmudgeon, from the French, cœur, "unknown," and mechant, "correspondent!"
From The Book of Three Hundred Anecdotes Historical, Literary, and Humorous—A New Selection by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
