cantankerous

[ kan-tang-ker-uhs ]

adjective

1. disagreeable to deal with; contentious; peevish:

   a cantankerous, argumentative man.

cantankerous

/ kænˈtæŋkərəs /

adjective

1. quarrelsome; irascible

Derived Forms

• canˈtankerously, adverb
• canˈtankerousness, noun

Other Words From

• can·tanker·ous·ly adverb
• can·tanker·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cantankerous¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cantankerous¹

C18: perhaps from C14 (obsolete) conteckour a contentious person, from conteck strife, from Anglo-French contek, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

If you’re dreading Thanksgiving with your cantankerous relatives, a pre-meal run could get you through the day.

From Popular-Science

The very things that make this the kind of book you could hand to a cop, a neighbor or a cantankerous uncle may make it unsatisfying for more sophisticated readers.

From Washington Post

To Chicago he was still two-fisted, hard-drinking, cantankerous.

From The Daily Beast

I still remember how disappointed I was by this cantankerous book.

From The Daily Beast

First up, a classic profile of the cantankerous but lovable Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko.

From The Daily Beast

The most dangerous animal to encounter when walking, I discovered, is not a lion but a cantankerous male buffalo.

From The Daily Beast

It was ugly, cantankerous, simple enough for any farmhand to understand and fix, and indomitable.

From The Daily Beast

As a rule even the most cantankerous women are placable after afternoon tea.

From Project Gutenberg

It's no wonder he drinks, hitched up to a cantankerous old hyena like that.

From Project Gutenberg

Some of the men I have to deal with are as bat-blind as they are cantankerous.

From Project Gutenberg

Every one recognises that cantankerous obstructiveness would only make matters worse, nay, absolutely intolerable.

From Project Gutenberg

I turned away to pay off my taxi, the driver of which was very cantankerous and abusive over his fare.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cranky
• dour
• grouchy
• grumpy
• irascible
• prickly
• quarrelsome
• testy