curmudgeonly

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "curmudgeonly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe someone as being bad-tempered, grumpy, and irritable. Example sentence: The old man was so curmudgeonly that no one wanted to approach him.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Informed of Van Gaal's curmudgeonly attitude, the Swansea manager added: "And I thought he shook my hand at the end.

The Guardian - Sport

"How did you become an expert on what does and doesn't exist?" he inquires in the perfect curmudgeonly Glaswegian husk.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Mr Turner is the outstanding result, a film that introduces the painter as a portly fellow with a top hat and a curmudgeonly expression in repose.

The Guardian - Film

If you can't bear to watch Martin Clunes being curmudgeonly in Cornwall, you could watch James Robertson Justice as Sir Lancelott Spratt in the Doctor in the House franchise or De Forrest Kelly as Bones in Star Trek to get much the same picture.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Just one more curmudgeonly self-hating conservative tax analyst and we have a trend!

The Economist

SURELY even John Bolton cannot be quite as curmudgeonly as this?

The Economist

It drew sniffy reviews from curmudgeonly critics but made pots of money.

The Economist

THEIR relationship became strained when David Beckham met his wife Victoria, a British pop singer known as Posh Spice, and developed this "fashion thing", grumbled Sir Alex Ferguson, the curmudgeonly manager of Manchester United, when the soccer star he had reared since he was a teenager was sold to Real Madrid.

The Economist

THE fanfare surrounding this summer's Olympic Games in Athens and the Euro 2004 soccer tournament, which starts in Portugal this weekend, is sure to include much curmudgeonly hand-wringing over modern man's obsession with sport (and it is mostly man's).

The Economist

It was striking to be reminded how shabby and poor war-broken Britain was (there were nice details about peers of the realm at the queen's coronation in 1953, assured that they could substitute rabbit fur for ermine and told they could hide sandwiches in their coronets).I think my favourite anecdote involved John Prescott, a curmudgeonly lefty who served as deputy prime minister to Tony Blair.

The Economist

He can be curmudgeonly: at a Dayton rally he started fretting about young children who call parents by their first names, citing this as a symptom of national decline.But Mr Kasich's pragmatism outweighs his flaws.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "curmudgeonly" to add depth to character descriptions, especially when depicting someone who is generally irritable but not necessarily malicious.

Common error

Avoid using "curmudgeonly" in very casual conversations; it's better suited for formal writing or when aiming for a slightly elevated tone. Simpler words like "grumpy" or "grouchy" may be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

Curmudgeonly primarily functions as an adjective, modifying nouns to describe someone with a bad-tempered, grumpy, and often stubborn disposition. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage as an adjective, which can be observed in the examples provided, where it qualifies nouns like "attitude", "expression", and "manager".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

77%

Encyclopedias

9%

Independent

9%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "curmudgeonly" is a grammatically correct and frequently used adjective that describes someone with a bad-tempered and grumpy disposition. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's most often found in news and media contexts, where it adds depth and nuance to character descriptions. While it's generally acceptable for formal writing, avoid overuse in informal conversation where simpler alternatives may be more appropriate. It is important to distinguish "curmudgeonly" from similar words like "cynical", which has to do with disbelief of values. The authoritative sources of the examples of Ludwig point to the reliability of the word in professional news and media.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

grumpy

Simple and direct synonym focusing on a bad-tempered mood.

irascible

Highlights the tendency to become easily angered; a more formal term.

cantankerous

Emphasizes a stubborn and argumentative nature.

grouchy

Similar to grumpy but suggesting a more habitual bad mood.

bad-tempered

A more descriptive phrase indicating a general tendency towards anger.

ill-humored

Suggests a lack of good humor or pleasantness.

testy

Indicates impatience and irritability.

choleric

Implies a quick temper and tendency to outbursts.

crabby

Informal term suggesting a sour and unpleasant disposition.

peevish

Suggests a tendency to be easily annoyed by unimportant things.

FAQs

How can I use "curmudgeonly" in a sentence?

You can use "curmudgeonly" to describe someone's behavior or disposition, such as "He had a "curmudgeonly demeanor"" or "She gave a "curmudgeonly reply"".

What can I say instead of "curmudgeonly"?

You can use alternatives like "grumpy", "irascible", or "cantankerous" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Which is correct, "curmudgeonly" or "curmudgeonly"?

The word is "curmudgeonly". There are no common misspellings or alternative forms of this word to cause confusion.

What's the difference between "curmudgeonly" and "cynical"?

"Curmudgeonly" describes someone who is bad-tempered and grumpy, while "cynical" describes someone who believes that people are generally selfish and dishonest. Although they can overlap, they emphasize different aspects of a person's character.