Cantankerous (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Having a difficult and contrary disposition; "a cantankerous and venomous-tongued old lady"- Dorothy Sayers.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The cantankerous old man would often yell at kids to get off his lawn.
- Her cantankerous attitude made it difficult for her to make friends at the office.
- The cantankerous chef was notorious for his short temper and harsh critiques of his line cooks.
- After a few too many years of dealing with bureaucracy, he became cantankerous and irritable.
- The cantankerous critic's scathing review of the play left the director in tears.
Synonyms
Meaning 2
Stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate; "unions...have never been as bloody-minded about demarcation as the shipbuilders"- Spectator.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The cantankerous attitude of the elderly neighbor made it impossible to discuss the issue of noise pollution with him.
- Her cantankerous mood made her refuse to help with the household chores, even on her day off.
- The cantankerous old man always had to have the last word in any argument, no matter how loud or boisterous it got.
- The union leader's cantankerous behavior during the negotiations led to a breakdown in talks and a prolonged strike.
- The new policy was met with cantankerous resistance from the older employees, who felt it was an attempt to phase them out.