cantankerous
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- cantankerously adverb
- cantankerousness noun
Etymology
Origin of cantankerous
First recorded in 1765–75; origin uncertain; earlier contankerous , perhaps derivation of Middle English contack, conteck “quarrel, contention,” from Anglo-French contek, formed on the models of contentious, rancorous
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.
In “Greenberg,” Ben Stiller’s title character is a cantankerous and neurotic New Yorker who has fled west after a nervous breakdown.
From Los Angeles Times
The soccer team’s place in the Premier League standings had the typically cantankerous rock star in a great mood, and that held when talk turned to his ongoing reunion tour.
From Salon
Whether the subject was toys, fish or a cantankerous old man, the Emeryville-based computer animation studio churned out hit after hit.
From Los Angeles Times
Known for his cantankerous, no-nonsense business dealings and his "you're fired/hired" catchphrase, Lord Sugar insists his on-screen persona is how he is in real life.
From BBC
A foreign policy insider told me: "It might come at a price, but it is in our interest for him to be a success, not be cantankerous."
From BBC
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.
