cantankerous

Meanings

• adjective

  Grouchy or unpleasantly cranky.

  - "He was in a cantankerous mood and refused to speak to anyone."
  - "The old man's cantankerous behavior made it difficult for his family to visit him."

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Pronunciation

1. /kænˈtæŋkəɹəs/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75729280"
2. /kænˈtæŋkəɹəs/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1637850"

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Synonyms

cranky , grouchy , grumpy , ornery , surly , truculent

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with cantankerous
grumorous , mumblorous , plumorous

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Variants

List of all variants of cantankerous that leads to same result
cantankerous , cantankerously , cantankerousness , cantankerousnesses

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

Originally used in the late 15th century, the word 'cantankerous' comes from the Middle English word 'cantankerous,' meaning 'discontented' or 'moody.' It is believed to be derived from the Old French word 'chantanquerus,' meaning 'displeased' or 'unruly.'

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The word 'cantankerous' is often used to describe a difficult or unpleasant person, but it can also be used more lightly to describe someone who is simply in a bad mood.

2. In the 16th century, the word 'cantankerous' was used to describe a horse that was difficult to ride or handle.

3. There is a popular saying, 'You can't make an omelette without breaking a few cantankerous eggs,' which means that sometimes you have to be willing to upset a few people to achieve a goal.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. grouch: A person who is easily annoyed or irritated and expresses their annoyance frequently.

2. moody: A person who is unpredictable in their emotions and behavior, often switching between happiness and sadness or calmness and irritability.

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Quotes

Quotes by authors and personalities

1. There are those who contend the hockey maven is a "cantankerous" old coot—rife with unpopular opinions and quick to assert them

   - Rick Harrison,{it}Newsday{/it},19 Sept. 2004

2. Contemporaries often found him aloof, standoffish, and "cantankerous" and his mannerisms and diction inscrutable.

   - Jonathan Spence,{it}New York Review of Books{/it},22 Oct. 2009

3. In his last years, Harriman was the kind of "cantankerous" old man who once berated a financial planner by threatening to make him sit in the corner and wear a dunce cap.

   - Bryan Burrough,{it}Vanity Fair{/it},January 1995

4. … it's something ultimately more memorable: a self-portrait of a coolly "cantankerous" woman, reformed but unrepentant.

   - David Gates,{it}New York Times Book Review{/it},21 Nov. 1999

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

In literature, the word 'cantankerous' has been used to describe various characters, including Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' and Captain Ahab from Herman Melville's 'Moby-Dick.' In music, there is a band called 'Cantankerous' that plays folk-punk music.

How to Memorize "cantankerous"

1. visualize
   

   - Visualize a grumpy old man with a long face and a scowl, muttering to himself and refusing to smile or speak to anyone.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word 'cantankerous' with the image of a grouchy, irritable person.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Create a mnemonic by remembering that 'Cantankerous' starts with the letter 'C' and sounds like 'cranky' or 'grumpy'.

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