cantankerous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In “Greenberg,” Ben Stiller’s title character is a cantankerous and neurotic New Yorker who has fled west after a nervous breakdown.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

Eve Hewson gets only one scene but proves boundlessly charming, as does Stacy Keach as Jay’s cantankerous dad.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

The pair takes the cold case team starring in Jussi Adler-Olsen’s series of novels and transports them to Edinburgh, casting the cantankerous Carl as an English outsider among Scots.

From Salon • Jun. 28, 2025

He was known to colleagues as cantankerous, but he was also so knowledgeable about history and politics that he could broadcast for hours without notes or a script.

From New York Times • Jun. 3, 2024

After Mom and Dad left, Erma became even more cantankerous.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls