Cranky
/ˈkræŋ.ki/noun
Irritable, bad-tempered, or in poor working order.
Did you know?The word’s older sense was physical, not emotional: a “crank” was something crooked or bent, and that image later powered the idea of being mentally or bodily “off.”
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
cranc
“Weak, feeble, or sickly.”
Middle English
ME
cranke
“Crooked, twisted, or frail; later also a lively or capricious person.”
16th Century
English
cranky
“Crooked, bent, or unsteady; also feeble or out of sorts.”
18th–19th Century
English
cranky
“Irritable, peevish, or given to odd moods.”
Modern English
English
cranky
“Bad-tempered, testy, or functioning poorly.”
Explore more surprising origins