adjective
crabbed
Irritable and unpleasant in manner.
Our crabbed neighbor complains whenever a ball lands in his yard.
Etymology
The crab supplied associations of crooked or awkward behavior. Crabbed applies that difficult-to-deal-with quality to a person’s temper, describing someone who responds unpleasantly or irritably.
More examples
- She gives a crabbed reply to a friendly question.
- Lack of sleep leaves him crabbed and impatient.
- Despite his crabbed manner, he never refuses to help.
Forms
crabbed
crabbedness noun — The quality of being irritable and unpleasant.
Similar words
- cranky
- Often describes temporary irritability caused by tiredness or discomfort.
- grumpy
- Suggests a milder bad mood, often expressed through complaining.
- surly
- Emphasizes rude, unfriendly behavior rather than general irritability.