grumpy

adjective

ˈgrəm-pē How to pronounce grumpy (audio)
grumpier; grumpiest
Synonyms of grumpy
: easily and often annoyed or angered : surly
grumpily
ˈgrəm-pə-lē How to pronounce grumpy (audio)
adverb
grumpiness
ˈgrəm-pē-nəs How to pronounce grumpy (audio)
noun

Synonyms of grumpy

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Examples of grumpy in a Sentence

Our neighbor is a grumpy old man. I was feeling grumpy after my long flight.
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.
Meanwhile the family is growing increasingly hungry and grumpy with each other, as food runs low with no new signs of escape. — William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026 Jeremy Swift returns as Higgins, and Brett Goldstein reprises his role of the grumpy former footballer, Roy Kent. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026 There were fires to put out; an unbalanced squad, unsettled players, grumpy fans, some truly dispiriting defeats. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Cats used to be the internet’s punchline, as grainy clips of keyboard solos and grumpy faces dropped into our feeds for a quick laugh. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for grumpy

Word History

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grumpy was in 1750

Rhymes for grumpy

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Browse Nearby Words

grumpish
grumpy
grun
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grumpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grumpy. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on grumpy

Nglish: Translation of grumpy for Spanish Speakers

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