adjective
cranky
KRANG-kee
adjective
1
Easily irritated; grumpy and bad-tempered.
"The toddler gets cranky when she misses her nap."
"He was cranky after the long, delayed flight."
2
Not working properly; faulty or unreliable.
"The old printer is cranky and jams constantly."
How to Use Cranky
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishGrumpy and easily irritated, or (of a machine) unreliable and prone to malfunctioning.
Common pairings
cranky toddler
cranky old machine
get cranky
Word Forms
crankier comparative, crankiest superlative
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Etymology
From crank plus the adjective ending -y, related to a Low German word for "sickly" or "unwell".