English

Adjective

grouchy ‎(comparative grouchier, superlative grouchiest)

1. Irritable; easily upset; angry; tending to complain. [From 1895]

   His boss gets grouchy when deadlines draw near.

   • 1911, Jack London, The Abysmal Brute, Chapter III,

     Not that young Pat had a nasty temper, or was grouchy as his father had feared.

   • 1922, Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt, Chapter XXXI,

     He went in to mumble that he was "sorry, didn't mean to be grouchy," and to inquire as to her interest in movies.

   • 1922, Henry William Fischer, Abroad with Mark Twain and Eugene Field, Author's Preface,

     In Berlin I once heard Susie Clemens—ill-fated, talented girl, who died so young—say to her father: "Grouchy again! They do say that you can be funny when company is around—too bad that you don't consider Henry Fisher company."

Related terms

• grouch
• grouchily
• grouchiness

Synonyms

• cranky
• grumpy
• tetchy
• See also Wikisaurus:irritable

Translations

References

1. ↑ Etymonline