Nearby Words

curmudgeonly

[ker-muhj-uhn] Origin

cur·mudg·eon

[ker-muhj-uhn]
noun
a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person.

Origin:
1570–80; unexplained; perhaps cur- representing cur

cur·mudg·eon·ly, adjective


grouch, crank, bear, sourpuss, crosspatch.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To curmudgeonly

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Curmudgeonly is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
Collins
World English Dictionary
curmudgeon (kɜːˈmʌdʒən)
 
n
a surly or miserly person
 
[C16: of unknown origin]
 
cur'mudgeonly
 
adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

curmudgeon
1577, of unknown origin; Johnson's suggestion that it is from Fr. coeur mechant "evil heart" is no longer taken seriously; the first syllable may be cur "dog."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature