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Meaning & use

cranky

adjective·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/ˈkræŋki/
US/ˈkræŋki/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparableinformal

    In a bad mood and easily annoyed, usually because of tiredness, hunger or discomfort.

    Grammar: Can follow be, get or feel: she gets cranky when she is hungry.

    Patterns

    • be cranky about something
    • get cranky with someone

    The toddler was cranky because he had missed his nap.

    I always get cranky when I skip breakfast.

    Don't mind Grandpa; he is just cranky after the long drive.

  2. adjectivecomparableinformalAmerican

    Odd, eccentric or stubbornly unusual, especially about someone's opinions or habits.

    Grammar: Often before a noun in this sense: a cranky theory.

    The professor held some cranky views about modern music.

    He was a cranky old inventor who refused to use any machine he had not built himself.

    The town was known for its cranky local newspaper.

  3. adjectivecomparableinformal

    Working badly or unreliably, as an old machine might.

    Grammar: Describes machines: a cranky engine.

    The cranky old furnace shuddered on again.

    We drove to the coast in a cranky van that stalled twice.

Word forms

comparativecrankier
superlativecrankiest

Common combinations

cranky child
A cranky child in the back seat made the trip longer.
get cranky
He gets cranky if dinner is late.
feel cranky
I feel cranky after so little sleep.
a cranky mood
She arrived in a cranky mood and snapped at everyone.
cranky and tired
The children were cranky and tired by evening.

Synonyms and how they differ

grumpy
Grumpy is very close, but it describes a general habit of complaining, while cranky stresses a mood caused by tiredness or hunger.
irritable
Irritable is more neutral and slightly formal, and it fits adults and medical descriptions better than cranky.
cross
Cross is a mainly British word for being annoyed with someone in particular, whereas cranky needs no specific target.
fussy
Fussy, especially of babies, means difficult to please or settle, while cranky focuses on the bad temper itself.

Opposites

cheerfulgood-humored

Word family

crankiness noun
the state of being cranky
crankily adverb
in a cranky way
crank noun
an eccentric person with odd ideas

Commonly confused: cranky or crabby?

cranky vs crabby

Crabby also means bad-tempered, but it suggests a sour, snappish personality rather than a mood caused by being tired.

Practice

The baby was ___ because she had not slept all afternoon.

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