cranky

¹

[krang-kee]

adjective

crankier, crankiest 

1. ill-tempered; grouchy; cross.

   I'm always cranky when I don't get enough sleep.

   Synonyms: perverse, cantankerous, crotchety

2. eccentric; queer.

3. shaky; unsteady; out of order.

4. full of bends or windings; crooked.

5. British Dialect.,  sickly; in unsound or feeble condition; infirm.

cranky

²

[krang-kee]

adjective

Nautical.

1. crank.

cranky

¹

/ ˈkræŋkɪ /

adjective

1. informal,  eccentric

2. informal,  fussy and bad-tempered

3. shaky; out of order

4. full of bends and turns

5. dialect,  unwell

cranky

²

/ ˈkræŋkɪ /

adjective

1. nautical another word for crank 2

Other Word Forms

• crankily adverb
• crankiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cranky¹

First recorded in 1780–90; crank ¹ + -y ¹

Origin of cranky²

First recorded in 1835–45; crank ² + -y ¹

Example Sentences

It’s tempting to dismiss the abrupt retirement of Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress as the end of an odd, cranky political career.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I don’t even need you to be there, but if you’re going to be there, if you could not be cranky, that would be great.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Cassiopeia, who was tired and cranky from the long day of travel, cupped her hands to her mouth and hissed right back.

Read more on Literature

A handful of rare and cranky antiques are powering the ungainly Hollywood resurgence of VistaVision.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

No snaking lines of cranky customers, passengers camped out on cots or travelers carpooling in a rental car to get to their destinations like we’ve seen during major airline meltdowns.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cantankerous 
• grouchy 
• grumpy 
• irascible 
• irritable 
• ornery 
• ugly