crabby

[ krab-ee ]

/ ˈkræb i /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR crabby ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, crab·bi·er, crab·bi·est.

Informal. grouchy; ill-natured; irritable; peevish.

Nearby words

crabb, crabbe, crabbed, crabber, crabbing, crabby, crabeater, crabmeat, crabs, crabstick, crabwise

Origin of crabby

First recorded in 1540–50; crab³ + -y¹

Related forms

crab·bi·ly, adverbcrab·bi·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for crabby

For us, this is Louis C.K. and his crabby, melancholic, and profanely funny half-hour comedy.
Why Is Louis C.K. So Funny? He Uses Humor as a Moral Compass.|Andrew Romano|May 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Never underestimate the power of “crabby snacks and homemades.”
Oscar Nominations Shockers: Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kathryn Bigelow & More|Marlow Stern|January 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Crabby American billionaires want their money back, writes John Avlon.
The Independent Rundown, November 11|Matthew DeLuca|November 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Time was getting short, and it was no use wasting time on my crabby landlady.
My Friend Smith|Talbot Baines Reed

You know, you crabby dear, you wouldn't neglect an old dog or an old pony after it had served you.
A Dream of the North Sea|James Runciman
Accordingly the Hermit exerted himself to please, and it would really have taken more than three crabby boys to resist him.
A Little Bush Maid|Mary Grant Bruce
When the latter arrived he seemed in a crabby frame of mind.
Jokes For All Occasions|Anonymous
Let us go downstairs after old Crabby is to bed and play some trick on him.
The Putnam Hall Rivals|Arthur M. Winfield

British Dictionary definitions for crabby

crabby

/ (ˈkræbɪ) /

adjective -bier or -biest

bad-tempered

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

crabby

adjective, crab·bi·er, crab·bi·est.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of crabby

Related forms

Examples from the Web for crabby

British Dictionary definitions for crabby

crabby

adjective -bier or -biest