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Synonyms

cranky

1 American  
[krang-kee] / ˈkræŋ ki /

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 American  
[krang-kee] / ˈkræŋ ki /

adjective

Nautical.

  1. crank.

cranky 1 British  
/ 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

"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
cranky 2 British  
/ ˈkræŋkɪ /

adjective

  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

Other Word Forms

  • crankily adverb
  • crankiness noun

Etymology

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In reality, though, it’s the options premium they really like, and they tend to get cranky if the stock declines and they must buy it.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

"Let's just get pizza back at the house," he sighed - the kids were getting cranky and needed a shower.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

You ever go through a cranky traditionalist phase?

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

“The purists, they get cranky about this, you know, and say that it’s supposed to be gin and vermouth and that’s all a martini should be.”

From Salon • Nov. 30, 2025

So what if I’m ancient and cranky and my body’s a wreck?

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.