crotchety

adjective

crotch·​ety ˈkrä-chə-tē How to pronounce crotchety (audio)
1
: given to crotchets (see crotchet sense 2a) : subject to whims, crankiness, or ill temper
a crotchety old man
a crotchety critic
2
: full of or arising from crotchets
a crotchety style
Crotchety twilight-of-life drama.Entertainment Weekly
crotchetiness noun

Examples of crotchety in a Sentence

None of the students dared to talk back to the crotchety old teacher. I get crotchety after a long day at work.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Patrick is crotchety and dismissive of their overtures at first, but Bob and Jean talk him around with their passionate belief in the project and intriguing early research. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 There are no shaky limbs in Wolfs, though there are some creaky joints, and an Advil joke—because aches and pains are a thing men can joke about, charmingly, while women who do the same run the risk of coming off as crotchety old complainers. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 20 Sep. 2024 The narrators of these stories are crotchety, easily nettled by the behaviors of other passengers. Jasmine Liu, The New Republic, 24 Oct. 2023 Not to mention mostly crotchety baseball writers, the most tenured of which make up the Hall of Fame voting electorate. Dallas News, 20 Jan. 2023 See all Example Sentences for crotchety 

Word History

Etymology

see crotchet

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crotchety was in 1825

Dictionary Entries Near crotchety

Cite this Entry

“Crotchety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crotchety. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

crotchety

adjective
crotch·​ety ˈkräch-ət-ē How to pronounce crotchety (audio)
: subject to whims, crankiness, or ill temper
crotchetiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on crotchety

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