cranky

¹

[ krang-kee ]

adjective

, crank·i·er, crank·i·est.

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

[ krang-kee ]

adjective

, Nautical.

1. crank ²( def 1 ).

cranky

¹

/ 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

cranky

²

/ ˈkræŋkɪ /

adjective

1. nautical another word for crank 2

Derived Forms

• ˈcrankily, adverb
• ˈcrankiness, noun

Other Words From

• cranki·ly adverb
• cranki·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cranky¹

First recorded in 1780–90; crank ¹ + -y ¹

Origin of cranky²

First recorded in 1835–45; crank ² + -y ¹

Related Words

• cantankerous
• grouchy
• grumpy
• irascible
• irritable
• ornery
• ugly