cantankerous
/kænˈtæŋkəɹəs/
cantankerous means given to or marked by an ill-tempered, quarrelsome nature; ill-tempered, cranky, crabby. It carries an Arena rating of 1880, earned across 46 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, cantankerous ranks #72 of 17,114 for Most Satisfying to Say, #89 of 40,250 for Qualifying, #367 of 17,116 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #857 of 17,150 for Funniest Words.
cantankerous is pronounced /kænˈtæŋkəɹəs/.
Why “cantankerous” is a great word
Given to or marked by an ill-tempered, quarrelsome, and often contradictory nature. Of uncertain origin, first attested in 1772 as a regional (Wiltshire) word; possibly an alteration of an earlier form like 'contenkerous', blending elements of 'contentious' and 'rancorous'. Unlike 'irritable,' which suggests a thin-skinned readiness for annoyance, or 'surly,' which implies a sullen, inward rudeness, cantankerous is an active, oppositional force. It is the old man who waters his lawn in a thunderstorm out of spite, the worn hinge that shrieks louder the more it is oiled, the voice that says 'no' before the question finishes—a testament to the stubborn human will to find fault, even in a vacuum.
Etymology
Perhaps derived from earlier contenkerous, from contentious + rancorous.
adj
- Given to or marked by an ill-tempered, quarrelsome nature; ill-tempered, cranky, crabby.
Words closest in meaning
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