cantankerous

kænˈtæŋkərəs

Definition

Definition of cantankerous - Reverso English Dictionary

Adjective

irritableeasily annoyed and quick to argue

The cantankerous old man yelled at the children.

grumpy

irascible

testy

behaviorhaving a difficult and contrary disposition

His cantankerous nature made teamwork impossible.

cranky

grumpy

irritable

stubborn

Rare

unwilling to cooperate or agree

Rare

She was cantankerous and refused to sign the contract.

grumpy

irritable

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Origin of cantankerous

Middle English, contakour (troublemaker)

Terms with cantankerous included in their meaning

💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.

atrabilious

adj.

behavior

ill-natured and cantankerous

Examples of cantankerous in a sentence

Her cantankerous attitude made her difficult to work with.
The cantankerous old man yelled at the children.
Her cantankerous attitude drove her friends away.
Her cantankerous nature made negotiations difficult.

View all translations of cantankerous

✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.

French:acariâtre, râleur, ...
German:streitsüchtig, mürrisch, ...
Italian:irascibile, scontroso, ...
Spanish:gruñón, cascarrabias, ...
Portuguese:rabugento, ranzinza, ...
Chinese:脾气暴躁的, 难以相处的, ...
Japanese:気難しい, 頑固な, ...
Arabic:سريع الغضب, مُشَاكِس, ...
Hebrew:עַקְשָׁן, נִרְגָּן, ...
Russian:сварливый, капризный, ...
Ukrainian:дратівливий, впертий, ...
Hindi:चिड़चिड़ा, विवादप्रिय, ...
Bengali:খিটখিটে, একগুঁয়ে, ...
Catalan:rondinaire, malhumorat, ...
Czech:nevrlý, protivný, ...
Danish:tvær, vranten, ...
Dutch:chagrijnig, koppig, ...
Greek:ευέξαπτος, δύστροπος, ...
Hungarian:mogorva, zsémbes, ...
Khmer:ឆាប់ខឹង, ឈ្លោះប្រកែកងាយ, ...
Korean:성미가 까다로운, 까다로운, ...
Persian:بدخلق, بدقلق, ...
Polish:zrzędliwy, uparty, ...
Portuguese (BR):rabugento, ranzinza, ...
Romanian:morocănos, dificil, ...
Swedish:grälsjuk, envis, ...
Thai:ขี้โมโห, ขี้ขัดคอ, ...
Turkish:huysuz, inatçı, ...
Vietnamese:cáu kỉnh, khó ưa, ...

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Definition of cantankerous - Reverso English Dictionary

Adjective

Origin of cantankerous

Terms related to cantankerous

Terms with cantankerous included in their meaning

Examples of cantankerous in a sentence

View all translations of cantankerous

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

Get more than a simple definition

Go from understanding to mastery