Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

crabby

[krab-ee] / ˈkræb i /


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.

See Examples For:

The bots responded to lines of cars and never got crabby, Baartman said.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 16, 2026

“I am such a crabby old man now, but it’s like, there’s parking, you can park when we have to go out,” Richter says.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 27, 2026

He added passengers jokingly pointed out the "shellfish" crab had its feet on the seat, while others called out the crabby commuter for fare dodging.

From BBC Sep. 19, 2025

“He seemed a little crabby when I was a kid,” Arnold remembered of his grandfather.

From Salon May 27, 2024

Since the mess with Lolo yesterday—and all the time it took to get Abuela calmed down—Mami’s been a little crabby and impatient, too.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Crustaceans have repeatedly gone from having a cylindrical body plan with a big tail — characteristic of a shrimp or a lobster — to a flatter, rounder, crabbier look, with a much less prominent tail.

From Scientific American Jun. 1, 2023

Kelly was crabbier than usual afterward, refusing to address the one constant stain on his time in Westwood: defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 31, 2021

They all know that happy and emotionally intelligent workplaces deliver results that crabbier organizations can’t.

From Forbes Oct. 22, 2014

He’s achieved many of his goals—Trudy had the baby, he got a bigger offe, he’s dominating Roger—but he seems to get crabbier by the week.

From Slate Apr. 16, 2012

“You’re always crabbier when your eyes are black — I expect it then,” I went on.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

It was about a month later that a legal-looking letter arrived, directed to him, beautifully written in the roundest and crabbiest of engrossing hands.

From The Vast Abyss The Story of Tom Blount, his Uncles and his Cousin Sam by George Manville Fenn




Vocabulary lists containing crabby


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training