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.
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
The soccer team’s place in the Premier League standings had the typically cantankerous rock star in a great mood, and that held when talk turned to his ongoing reunion tour.
From Salon • Aug. 19, 2025
A foreign policy insider told me: "It might come at a price, but it is in our interest for him to be a success, not be cantankerous."
From BBC • Jan. 18, 2025
Unfortunately, as Great-Aunt Bert could be a bit cantankerous, they were having to be creative.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
Vocabulary lists containing cantankerous
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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Negative Words to Describe a Person
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Curmudgeon, Cantankerous and Churlish: Grouchy Words
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