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Synonyms

grouchy

1 American  
[grou-chee] / ˈgraʊ tʃi /

adjective

grouchier, grouchiest
  1. sullenly discontented; sulky; morose; ill-tempered.


Grouchy 2 American  
[groo-shee] / gruˈʃi /

noun

  1. Emmanuel Marquis de, 1766–1847, French general.


ˈgrouchy British  
/ ˈɡraʊtʃɪ /

adjective

  1. informal  bad-tempered; tending to complain; peevish

"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

  • grouchily adverb
  • grouchiness noun

Etymology

Origin of grouchy

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; grouch + -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.

The heroine is a grouchy, 73-year-old retired lawyer at odds with her daughter and her garden club.

From The Wall Street Journal

Matt Roush adds, “Subtlety rarely wins awards, but I’d like to see Harrison Ford’s masterful underplaying as ‘Shrinking’s’ grouchy shrink prove me wrong.”

From Los Angeles Times

As grouchy as Rick can be, he doesn’t seem like the type to lie, especially not to Chelsea.

From Los Angeles Times

“Sesame Street’s” garbage-can dwelling green monster tells us about his favorite piece of trash and how to put on your best grouchy face.

From Los Angeles Times

Scott wrote in The Times, “you are likely to leave this one feeling as grouchy and put-upon as the title character.”

From New York Times