crabbed

American  

[krab-id, krabd] / ˈkræb ɪd, kræbd /

adjective

1. grouchy; ill-natured; irritable; churlish.

   Synonyms:

   cantankerous, peevish, cross

2. perverse; contrary; obstinate.

3. hard to understand; intricate and obscure.

4. difficult to read or decipher, as handwriting.

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crabbed British  

/ ˈkræbɪd /

adjective

1. surly; irritable; perverse

2. (esp of handwriting) cramped and hard to decipher

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Other Word Forms

• crabbedly adverb
• crabbedness noun

Etymology

Origin of crabbed

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; crab ³, -ed ³

Explanation

If your friend fell out of bed, spilled hot tea on his socks, and tripped in the snow, you might expect him to be crabbed. Crabbed describes someone who is grumpy, or irritable, or has a generally crotchety attitude. The word crabbed originally meant “resembling a crab” and also takes part of its meaning from the sour-tasting crab apple. You can think of crabbed as describing what someone would be like if they were made into a crab. The word is used less often than its synonym crabby, but the meaning of crabbed is just as easy to understand: if you were covered in sand all day, you’d probably feel crabbed too!

Example Sentences

She also shaved her head — all to add authenticity as her queen evolved from youth to crabbed old age.

From New York Times • Jun. 15, 2023

In this crabbed and narrow view of things, the prime offender was the Pop art typified by Andy Warhol, whose 1970 retrospective caused a hubbub at the organizing Pasadena Museum of Art.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2022

But it is quite another for the judiciary to apply that same crabbed conception to speech beyond the school setting.

From Washington Post • Apr. 30, 2021

Conversely, the cynical prognosticators who used to seem crabbed and paranoid just keep getting proven right.

From Slate • Sep. 21, 2020

My hands crabbed into half fists and I had to wear special gloves to keep them open.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman