crankier; crankiest
1
a
: given to fretful fussiness : readily angered when opposed : crotchety
Our long wait … left us a tad cranky.—
Connecticut
Connecticut
b
: marked by eccentricity
… his bizarre and cranky mix of ideas and beliefs …—R. J. Evans
R. J. Evans2
: full of twists and turns : tortuous
a cranky road
3
: working erratically : unpredictable
a cranky old tractor
of a boat
Examples of cranky in a Sentence
Adjective (1)
that old typewriter is handy sometimes, but rather cranky these days
the baby was cranky after not being fed for hours
if cranky children don't appreciate what they already have, then they shouldn't get a thing more
that's just another of his cranky theories about the CIA
the man would inflict on innocent bystanders his cranky ruminations on world events
Recent Examples on the Web
Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Home is where the heart is today, but someone could be cranky.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 22 Feb. 2026
The first baseman/catcher had been delayed getting into games after dealing with a cranky neck earlier this spring.
—Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cranky
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Adjective
Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric.
—Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Home is where the heart is today, but someone could be cranky.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 22 Feb. 2026
The first baseman/catcher had been delayed getting into games after dealing with a cranky neck earlier this spring.
—Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Cite this Entry
“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cranky. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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