English Explanatory Dictionary

cantankerous

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Given to or marked by an ill-tempered, quarrelsome nature; ill-tempered, cranky, crabby.

Pronunciation

/kænˈtæŋkəɹəs/ /kənˈtæŋkəɹəs/ en-us-cantankerous.ogg en-au-cantankerous.ogg

Word forms

cantankerous more cantankerous most cantankerous

Etymology

Perhaps derived from earlier contenkerous, from contentious + rancorous.

Synonyms

cranky crotchety atrabilious bad-tempered bilious bitchy brainish cantankerous carnaptious choleric crabbit crabby dyspeptic edgy fantoddish fiery fractious fretful grumpy grotchy grouchy hissy hot-livered hot-tempered hotheaded huffy humpy ill-natured ill-tempered irascible irritable liverish out of sorts ornery (chiefly US)} peevish pettish petulant prickly quick-tempered querulous raspy ratty short-tempered snappish snappy snippety snippish snippy snitchy splenetic stressy surly temperamental testy tetchy tetty thin-skinned thorny touchy twitchy

Derived words

cantankerosity cantankerously cantankerousness uncantankerous
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