grouchy
adjective
sullenly discontented; sulky; morose; ill-tempered.
grouchy
1 American
[grou-chee]
/ ˈgraʊ tʃi /
adjective
grouchier,
grouchiest
Grouchy
2
American
[gr oo-shee]
/ gruˈʃi /
noun
grouchy
British
/ ˈɡraʊtʃɪ /
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of grouchy
Explanation
Are you feeling cranky or irritable and complaining about every little thing that annoys you? You're grouchy. Someone who's grouchy is easily irritated, like the grouchy bus driver who yells for everyone to sit down and be quiet, or your grouchy brother, who grumbles about what's being served for dinner — or the notoriously grouchy Oscar the Grouch from "Sesame Street." Grouchy was college slang in the late 1800s, along with expressions like "to have a grouch on." The root might be grutch, "to complain or find fault with."
Vocabulary lists containing grouchy
Irritable, List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Irritable, List 2
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!
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.
Grouchy and gracious — you all matter to me.
From Washington Post • Aug. 21, 2022
"Grouchy old guy with the heart of gold," is not a particularly daunting role, but somehow Jones missed the mark.
From Golf Digest • Mar. 29, 2018
So when he had a chance to raise Grouchy from a pup, he got the name.
From Washington Times • Jun. 5, 2016
Along with Earl Sweatshirt, Wiki could form some kind of subgenre, Grouchy Domestic Surrealism.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2015
Quelques documents sur la bataille de Waterloo, propres � �clairer la question port�e devant le public par M. le Marquis de Grouchy.
From The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte Vol. IV. (of IV.) by Sloane, William Milligan
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.
