cantankerous

/kən'tæɳkərəs/

Thân thiện

The old man gave a cantankerous reply to the cheerful cashier.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Bad-tempered and argumentative: Describes a person who is often angry, irritable, and ready to quarrel or complain.
   • Difficult to deal with: Refers to someone who is stubbornly uncooperative and contrary.

Usage

• The word "cantankerous" is used to describe a person's habitual disposition or mood, not a temporary state. It implies a persistent, ingrained grumpiness and combativeness, often associated with age but not exclusively.
• It is a formal and somewhat literary term. In everyday speech, words like "grumpy" or "cranky" are more common.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The cantankerous old man yelled at the children to get off his lawn.
  • Despite her wealth, she was known throughout the town for her cantankerous nature.
  • Dealing with a cantankerous customer requires a great deal of patience.

Advanced Usage

• "to be in a cantankerous mood": To be temporarily exhibiting the irritable and argumentative behavior typical of a cantankerous person.
  • He hadn't had his coffee and was in a particularly cantankerous mood.

Variants and Related Words

• Cantankerously (adverb): In a cantankerous manner.
  • He replied cantankerously to every question.
• Cantankerousness (noun): The quality or state of being cantankerous.
  • His cantankerousness made him few friends.

Synonyms

• Irascible: Easily angered.
• Quarrelsome: Likely to argue.
• Crusty: Abrupt or gruff in manner (can imply a harsh exterior hiding a softer interior, unlike "cantankerous").
• Peevish: Easily irritated, especially by unimportant things.
• Contrary: Perversely inclined to disagree or oppose.

Antonyms

• Amiable: Having a friendly and pleasant manner.
• Agreeable: Willing to agree or cooperate.
• Good-natured: Kind, tolerant, and not easily annoyed.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• While there is no common idiom using the exact word "cantankerous," the concept is often captured in phrases like:
  • "A bear with a sore head": Someone who is very irritable and bad-tempered.
  • "To have a chip on one's shoulder": To be habitually angry or resentful as a result of a perceived grievance.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. having a difficult and contrary disposition
   • a cantankerous and venomous-tongued old lady- Dorothy Sayers
2. stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
   • unions...have never been as bloody-minded about demarcation as the shipbuilders- Spectator

Từ đồng nghĩa

• crotchety
• ornery
• bloody-minded