cranky

1
[ krang-kee ]
See synonyms for: crankycrankiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,crank·i·er, crank·i·est.
  1. ill-tempered; grouchy; cross: I'm always cranky when I don't get enough sleep.

  2. eccentric; queer.

  1. shaky; unsteady; out of order.

  2. full of bends or windings; crooked.

  3. British Dialect. sickly; in unsound or feeble condition; infirm.

Origin of cranky

1
First recorded in 1780–90; crank1 + -y1

Other words for cranky

Other words from cranky

  • crank·i·ly, adverb
  • crank·i·ness, noun

Other definitions for cranky (2 of 2)

cranky2
[ krang-kee ]

adjectiveNautical.

Origin of cranky

2
First recorded in 1835–45; crank2 + -y1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cranky in a sentence

  • An admirable epitome of what might be called “advanced health culture without crankiness.”

  • With an old maid's usual crankiness and inability to adapt herself to the order of things, Cousin Fanny remained behind.

    The Burial of the Guns | Thomas Nelson Page
  • But, at least, it was interesting crankiness, and the belief behind it made it even fascinating.

    Four Weird Tales | Algernon Blackwood
  • Despite the happy-juice in my bloodstream, a streak of uncastmemberly crankiness was shot through my mood.

British Dictionary definitions for cranky (1 of 2)

cranky1

/ (ˈkræŋkɪ) /


adjectivecrankier or crankiest
  1. informal eccentric

  2. mainly US, Canadian and Irish informal fussy and bad-tempered

  1. shaky; out of order

  2. full of bends and turns

  3. dialect unwell

Derived forms of cranky

  • crankily, adverb
  • crankiness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for cranky (2 of 2)

cranky2

/ (ˈkræŋkɪ) /


adjectivecrankier or crankiest
  1. nautical another word for crank 2

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