cantankerous
Also found in: Thesaurus, Wikipedia.
can·tan·ker·ous
(kăn-tăng′kər-əs)adj.
1. Ill-tempered and quarrelsome; disagreeable: disliked her cantankerous landlord.
2. Difficult to handle: "had to use liquid helium, which is supercold, costly and cantankerous" (Brad Pokorny).
[Perhaps from Middle English contek, dissension (influenced by such words as rancorous cankerous), from Anglo-Norman contec, possibly from Latin contāctus, past participle of contingere, to touch; see contact.]
can·tan′ker·ous·ly adv.
can·tan′ker·ous·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
cantankerous
(kænˈtæŋkərəs)adj
quarrelsome; irascible
[C18: perhaps from C14 (obsolete) conteckour a contentious person, from conteck strife, from Anglo-French contek, of obscure origin]
canˈtankerously adv
canˈtankerousness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
can•tan•ker•ous
(kænˈtæŋ kər əs)adj.
quarrelsome; irritable.
[1765–75]
can•tan′ker•ous•ly, adv.
can•tan′ker•ous•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Adj. | 1. | cantankerous - stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate; "unions...have never been as bloody-minded about demarcation as the shipbuilders"- Spectator Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom obstinate, stubborn, unregenerate - tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield |
| 2. | cantankerous - having a difficult and contrary disposition; "a cantankerous and venomous-tongued old lady"- Dorothy Sayers ill-natured - having an irritable and unpleasant disposition |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
cantankerous
adjective bad-tempered, contrary, perverse, irritable, crusty, grumpy, disagreeable, cranky (U.S., Canad., & Irish informal), irascible, tetchy, ratty (Brit. & N.Z. informal), testy, quarrelsome, waspish, grouchy (informal), peevish, crabby, choleric, crotchety (informal), ill-humoured, captious, difficult You're just a cantankerous old man.
kindly, happy, pleasant, cheerful, merry, agreeable, amiable, breezy, placid, genial, congenial, vivacious, good-natured, complaisant
kindly, happy, pleasant, cheerful, merry, agreeable, amiable, breezy, placid, genial, congenial, vivacious, good-natured, complaisant
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
cantankerous
adjectiveThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
مُشاكِس
hašteřivý
krakilskkværulantisk
òrasgjarn
vaidingas
kašķīgsķildīgs
hašterivý
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
cantankerous
(kӕnˈtӕŋkərəs) adjective quarrelsome. a cantankerous old man.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.