cantankerous
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.
Ian McKellen plays a cantankerous painter, Michael Jackson’s electrifying talent comes through in a new biopic, Albert Camus’s ‘The Stranger’ gets an elegant adaptation, and much, much more.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
But after Christopher left, Julian became a shell of his former self — a cantankerous curmudgeon, known more for his Simon Cowell-esque criticism on the long-running reality show “Art Fight” than his work.
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026
In “Greenberg,” Ben Stiller’s title character is a cantankerous and neurotic New Yorker who has fled west after a nervous breakdown.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025
Eve Hewson gets only one scene but proves boundlessly charming, as does Stacy Keach as Jay’s cantankerous dad.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025
She could be a little prickly, and even cantankerous with the other nurses sometimes.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Vocabulary lists containing cantankerous
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Negative Words to Describe a Person
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Grade 10, List 5
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