cranky
1 of 2adjective (1)
ˈkraŋ-kē 
crankier; crankiest
1
a
: given to fretful fussiness : readily angered when opposed : crotchety
our long wait … left us a tad cranky 
Connecticut
Connecticut b
: marked by eccentricity
his bizarre and cranky mix of ideas and beliefs R. J. Evans
R. J. Evans2
: full of twists and turns : tortuous
a cranky road
3
: working erratically : unpredictable
a cranky old tractor
4
dialect : crazy, silly
crankily
ˈkraŋ-kə-lē
adverb crankiness
ˈkraŋ-kē-nəs
noun cranky
2 of 2adjective (2)
of a boat
: crank entry 5
Synonyms
Adjective (1)
- awkward
- bunglesome
- clumsy
- clunky
- cumbersome
- cumbrous
- ponderous
- ungainly
- unhandy
- unwieldy
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
Etymology
Adjective (1)
crank entry 1
First Known Use
Adjective (1)
1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective (2)
1841, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
cranky
adjective
ˈkraŋ-kē
crankier; crankiest
: easily angered or irritated
"If I don't eat, I get cranky." Richard Peck, A Year Down Yonder
Richard Peck, A Year Down Yondercranky
adjective
1
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design that old typewriter is handy sometimes, but rather cranky these days Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- clumsy
- awkward
- cumbersome
- unwieldy
- clunky
- ponderous
- unhandy
- ungainly
- heavy
- uncontrollable
- unmanageable
- bunglesome
- impractical
- cumbrous
- bulky
- hulking
- dinosauric
- massive
- elephantine
- impracticable
- dinosaurian
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- practical
- useful
- handy
- functional
- serviceable
- practicable
2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed the baby was cranky after not being fed for hours Synonyms & Similar Words
- irritable
- grumpy
- grouchy
- fiery
- crabby
- snappish
- irascible
- crotchety
- peevish
- petulant
- testy
- snarky
- snippy
- cross
- waspish
- choleric
- short-tempered
- pettish
- stuffy
- raspy
- passionate
- ornery
- sensitive
- cantankerous
- curmudgeonly
- ratty
- quick-tempered
- prickly
- surly
- querulous
- snarly
- snippety
- perverse
- dyspeptic
- short
- contentious
- fretful
- disagreeable
- belligerent
- bilious
- out of humor
- snappy
- argumentative
- tetchy
- pugnacious
- combative
- sulky
- out of sorts
- bellicose
- ill-tempered
- quarrelsome
- fractious
- ill-humored
- pouty
- truculent
- sullen
- huffy
- disputatious
- scrappy
- off-colored
- bearish
- ill-natured
- touchy
- cross-grained
- off-color
- thin-skinned
- hot-blooded
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- friendly
- affable
- gregarious
- sweet
- amiable
- genial
- extroverted
- sociable
- outgoing
- cordial
- extraverted
- companionable
- agreeable
- easygoing
- good-natured
- carefree
- good-tempered
- relaxed
- stoic
- patient
- tolerant
- stoical
- uncomplaining
- forbearing
- happy-go-lucky
- well-disposed
- obliging
- understanding
- long-suffering
3
as in restless
given to complaining a lot if cranky children don't appreciate what they already have, then they shouldn't get a thing more Synonyms & Similar Words
- restless
- grumpy
- grouchy
- irritable
- crabby
- querulous
- displeased
- nervous
- dissatisfied
- fussy
- fidgety
- uneasy
- twitchy
- wiggly
- squirmy
- disgruntled
- discontented
- fretful
- antsy
- ornery
- restive
- wriggly
- cantankerous
- snappish
- irascible
- crotchety
- peevish
- petulant
- testy
- worrisome
- waspish
- snippy
- short-tempered
- pettish
- choleric
- cross
- quick-tempered
- perverse
- snappy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- stoic
- stoical
- tolerant
- amiable
- patient
- uncomplaining
- forbearing
- affable
- gracious
- agreeable
- long-suffering
- genial
- good-natured
- good-humored
- complaisant
- good-tempered
- easygoing
- obliging
- accommodating
- relaxed
- well-disposed
- laid-back
4
as in funny
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion that's just another of his cranky theories about the CIA Synonyms & Similar Words
- funny
- weird
- bizarre
- strange
- erratic
- odd
- curious
- crazy
- peculiar
- eccentric
- abnormal
- remarkable
- unusual
- weirdo
- screwy
- quirky
- wacky
- kooky
- funky
- wild
- kinky
- whacky
- outré
- offbeat
- unique
- quaint
- outlandish
- queer
- bizarro
- unconventional
- kookie
- outrageous
- off-kilter
- queerish
- flaky
- freak
- off-the-wall
- rum
- uncommon
- crotchety
- spaced-out
- extraordinary
- fantastic
- freaky
- fantastical
- outstanding
- rare
- freakish
- far-out
- way-out
- out-of-the-way
- noticeable
- atypical
- aberrant
- prominent
- conspicuous
- idiosyncratic
- shocking
- striking
- salient
- puzzling
- perplexing
- singular
- phantasmagoric
- notable
- phenomenal
- baffling
- nonconformist
- addlepated
- uncustomary
- bewildering
- confounding
- unwonted
- atrocious
- unorthodox
- phantasmagorical
- mystifying
- nonmainstream
- out-there
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- normal
- usual
- typical
- ordinary
- average
- conservative
- prosaic
- routine
- unremarkable
- commonplace
- everyday
- conformist
- standard
- familiar
- garden
- conventional
- predictable
- run-of-the-mill
- workaday
- frequent
- unexceptional
- habitual
- regular
- common
- expected
- customary
- knee-jerk
- wonted
5
as in psychotic
dialect having or showing a very abnormal or sick state of mind the man would inflict on innocent bystanders his cranky ruminations on world events Synonyms & Similar Words
- psychotic
- mad
- lunatic
- nuts
- insane
- crazy
- paranoid
- maniacal
- maniac
- gaga
- disturbed
- mental
- crazed
- psycho
- deranged
- unhinged
- demented
- wacko
- depressed
- unbalanced
- cracked
- batty
- screwy
- loony
- nutty
- eccentric
- strange
- irrational
- bonkers
- wacky
- scatty
- cuckoo
- haywire
- daft
- kooky
- paranoidal
- daffy
- whacky
- looney
- whacko
- bedlam
- obsessed
- moonstruck
- odd
- crackpot
- crackers
- ballistic
- distraught
- around the bend
- unreasonable
- foolish
- certifiable
- bats
- brainsick
- neurotic
- barmy
- distracted
- kookie
- loco
- crackbrained
- meshuga
- bughouse
- loony tunes
- fey
- loopy
- fruity
- frantic
- unsound
- hysterical
- meshugah
- balmy
- looney tunes
- out to lunch
- off
- delirious
- meshugge
- schizophrenic
- meshuggah
- schizoid
- sociopathic
- queer
- non compos mentis
- dotty
- tetched
- delusional
- paranoiac
- touched
- oddball
- hysteric
- out of one's mind
- disordered
- wud
- off one's rocker
- off one's gourd
- delusionary
- off one's head
- aberrant
- pixilated
- out of one's head
- witless
- paranoic
- nuclear
- potty
- berserk
- obsessive-compulsive
- bananas
- raving
- pixillated
- monomaniacal
- ape
- fixated
- monomaniac
- frenzied
- wigged-out
- amok
- senseless
- teched
- amuck
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sane
- sound
- reasonable
- balanced
- rational
- wise
- normal
- compos mentis
- clear
- sensible
- uncrazy
- lucid
- healthy
- judicious
- well-adjusted
- unneurotic