cantankerous
Valid in Scrabble
- Scrabble points
- 18
- Words With Friends
- 22
- Letters
- 12
/kænˈtæŋkəɹəs/
See all 2 pronunciations Show less
/kænˈtæŋkəɹəs/ · /kənˈtæŋkəɹəs/
Definition of cantankerous
1 sense · 1 part of speech · etymology included
adj
-
Given to or marked by an ill-tempered, quarrelsome nature; ill-tempered, cranky, crabby.
“"She is a cantankerous old maid," added another, whom I recognised, by his voice, as a man whose attentions I had put a determined check to not six weeks before: "she is a cantankerous old maid, fretting and snarling over the loss of her beauty."”
“Murphy's Law never proved itself more accurate than at the Nov. 18 film benefit for Persephone Press. With problems ranging from a cantankerous projector to blown fuses, the presentations of Jan Oxenberg's films were blurred, disrupted and played with lapses in their soundtracks.”
“By contrast, cantankerous and churlish people are contemptuously independent of others’ opinions, not caring enough about others and their views.”
“Nina was thrilled, muttering her cantankerous joy that I was getting out of the house.”
“Unfortunately, as Great-Aunt Bert could be a bit cantankerous, they were having to be creative.”
Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Etymology
Perhaps derived from earlier contenkerous, from contentious + rancorous.
Words you can make from cantankerous
200+ playable · top: CANKEROUS (15 pts)
Best play cankerous 15 points9-letter words
8 words8-letter words
36 words- CRANKEST 14 pts
- CRANKOUS 14 pts
- OATCAKES 14 pts
- STRUCKEN 14 pts
- UNTRACKS 14 pts
- NUNATAKS 12 pts
- OUTRANKS 12 pts
- ANCESTOR 10 pts
- ARACEOUS 10 pts
- CATERANS 10 pts
- CENTAURS 10 pts
- CONSTRUE 10 pts
- COUNTERS 10 pts
- COURANTE 10 pts
- COURANTS 10 pts
- CURTANAS 10 pts
- ENACTORS 10 pts
- NACREOUS 10 pts
- NOCTURNE 10 pts
- NOCTURNS 10 pts
- OCEANAUT 10 pts
- OUTRACES 10 pts
- OUTRANCE 10 pts
- RECOUNTS 10 pts
- RECUSANT 10 pts
- TROUNCES 10 pts
- UNCRATES 10 pts
- AERONAUT 8 pts
- NAUSEANT 8 pts
- NEUTRONS 8 pts
- NORTENAS 8 pts
- OUTEARNS 8 pts
- RESONANT 8 pts
- TONNEAUS 8 pts
- UNORNATE 8 pts
- UNREASON 8 pts
7-letter words
138 words- ASKANCE 13 pts
- CANKERS 13 pts
- CONKERS 13 pts
- OATCAKE 13 pts
- RACKETS 13 pts
- RANSACK 13 pts
- RECKONS 13 pts
- RESTACK 13 pts
- RESTOCK 13 pts
- RETACKS 13 pts
- ROCKETS 13 pts
- SNACKER 13 pts
- STACKER 13 pts
- STOCKER 13 pts
- TACKERS 13 pts
- TUCKERS 13 pts
- UNCAKES 13 pts
- UNCORKS 13 pts
- UNSTACK 13 pts
- UNTACKS 13 pts
- UNTRACK 13 pts
- ANANKES 11 pts
- ANORAKS 11 pts
- KANTARS 11 pts
- KARATES 11 pts
- KATSURA 11 pts
- KORUNAS 11 pts
- NEKTONS 11 pts
- NUNATAK 11 pts
- OSTRAKA 11 pts
- OUTRANK 11 pts
- RANKEST 11 pts
- REKNOTS 11 pts
- SANTOKU 11 pts
- STONKER 11 pts
- TANKERS 11 pts
- UNKNOTS 11 pts
- UNTAKEN 11 pts
- ACEROUS 9 pts
- ACETOUS 9 pts
- ANCONES 9 pts
- ARCUATE 9 pts
- CAESURA 9 pts
- CANNERS 9 pts
- CANOERS 9 pts
- CANTERS 9 pts
- CANTONS 9 pts
- CANTORS 9 pts
- CARATES 9 pts
- CARNETS 9 pts
- CAROUSE 9 pts
- CARTONS 9 pts
- CATENAS 9 pts
- CATERAN 9 pts
- CENTAUR 9 pts
- COARSEN 9 pts
- COASTER 9 pts
- COATERS 9 pts
- CONATUS 9 pts
- CONNATE 9 pts
- CONNERS 9 pts
- CONSENT 9 pts
- CONTRAS 9 pts
- CONTUSE 9 pts
- CONURES 9 pts
- CORNEAS 9 pts
- CORNETS 9 pts
- CORNUTE 9 pts
- COTEAUS 9 pts
- COUNTER 9 pts
- COURANT 9 pts
- COUTERS 9 pts
- CRATONS 9 pts
- CRETONS 9 pts
- CROUTES 9 pts
- CUATROS 9 pts
- CUNNERS 9 pts
- CURATES 9 pts
- CURTANA 9 pts
- ENACTOR 9 pts
- ENCRUST 9 pts
- NARCOSE 9 pts
- NASCENT 9 pts
- NECTARS 9 pts
- NOCTURN 9 pts
- NUANCES 9 pts
- NUTCASE 9 pts
- OCTANES 9 pts
- OSTRACA 9 pts
- OUNCERS 9 pts
- OUTRACE 9 pts
- RECANTS 9 pts
- RECOATS 9 pts
- RECOUNT 9 pts
- RETCONS 9 pts
- ROSACEA 9 pts
- SACATON 9 pts
- SCANNER 9 pts
- SCANTER 9 pts
- SCOUTER 9 pts
- SCUNNER 9 pts
- SONANCE 9 pts
- SUNCARE 9 pts
- SURCOAT 9 pts
- TANRECS 9 pts
- TOUCANS 9 pts
- TRANCES 9 pts
- TROUNCE 9 pts
- TURACOS 9 pts
- UNCRATE 9 pts
- AEROSAT 7 pts
- ANNATES 7 pts
- ANURANS 7 pts
- ARENOUS 7 pts
- ATONERS 7 pts
- NATRONS 7 pts
- NATURES 7 pts
- NEURONS 7 pts
- NEUSTON 7 pts
- NEUTRON 7 pts
- NONARTS 7 pts
- NONUSER 7 pts
- NORTENA 7 pts
- OUTEARN 7 pts
- SANTERA 7 pts
- SANTERO 7 pts
- SANTOUR 7 pts
- SAUNTER 7 pts
- SENATOR 7 pts
- SOUTANE 7 pts
- STUNNER 7 pts
- TANNERS 7 pts
- TENOURS 7 pts
- TONNEAU 7 pts
- TONNERS 7 pts
- TONSURE 7 pts
- TREASON 7 pts
- TURNONS 7 pts
6-letter words
17 wordsFind your best play with cantankerous
See every word you can make from a set of letters that includes cantankerous, or browse word lists you can mine for high-scoring plays.