cantankerous

[US]/kænˈtæŋkərəs/
[UK]/kænˈtæŋkərəs/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

adj. bad-tempered, prone to arguing.

Phrases & Collocations

a cantankerous attitude

Example Sentences

he can be a cantankerous old fossil at times.

a cantankerous and venomous-tongued old lady

The cantankerous old man yelled at the kids playing near his lawn.

The cantankerous customer complained about everything in the restaurant.

Her cantankerous attitude made it difficult for her to make friends.

The cantankerous cat hissed and scratched anyone who tried to pet it.

Despite his cantankerous nature, he was a talented musician.

The cantankerous boss made working at the company a nightmare.

Her cantankerous behavior alienated her from her colleagues.

The cantankerous dog barked at anyone who came near its territory.

He inherited his cantankerous personality from his father.

Dealing with a cantankerous landlord can be a real challenge.

Real-world Examples

We get agitated, fretful, cantankerous and panicky.

Source: The school of life

But temperamental technology and cantankerous camels combined to make this the hardest desert shoot of all.

Source: Human Planet

And when you hear the words " famously cantankerous, " I know you want the story time.

Source: Radio Laboratory

She was a garrulous, cantankerous, terrific teacher, and she never taught again.

Source: Complete English Speech Collection

Let's not look like we're at a cantankerous wedding.

Source: The Durrells Season 2

Only Mallinson was inclined to be cantankerous, and that might partly be due to the altitude.

Source: The Disappearing Horizon

And sometimes we can be just cantankerous and blah blah blah blah blah, but we still go.

Source: TED Talks (Audio Version) November 2017 Collection

I think it was Zwicky, who was a famously cantankerous physicist in the early part of the 20th century.

Source: Radio Laboratory

If my shoemaker turn me out an excellent pair of boots, and I, in some mood of cantankerous unreason, throw them back upon his hands, the man has just cause of complaint.

Source: Essays on the Four Seasons

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