rantankerousadj.
/ranˈtaŋk(ə)rəs/, U.S. /rænˈtæŋk(ə)rəs/ U.S. colloquial and regional (chiefly southern). Now rare.
Ill-tempered, quarrelsome, ‘ornery’; = cantankerous adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > anger > irascibility > ill-naturedness > [adjective]
stour1303
thwarta1325
elvishc1386
wrawc1386
wrawfulc1386
crabbeda1400
crousea1400
cursedc1400
doggeda1425
currishc1460
disagreeable1474
dour1488
thrawn1488
terne?1507
apirsmarta1522
crustyc1570
incommodious1570
bilious1571
mischievous-stomached1577
thrawn-faced1578
thrawn-mowit1578
wearisha1586
shrewish1596
rhubarbative1600
crabbish1606
ill-tempereda1616
cur-like1627
thrawn-faceda1628
terned1638
cross1639
splenial1641
frumpish1647
wry1649
bad-tempered1671
hot-tempered1673
sidy1673
ugly1687
ornery1692
cankerya1699
ramgunshoch1721
cantankerousc1736
frumpy1746
unhappy1756
grumpy1778
crabby1791
grumpish1797
thraw-gabbit18..
snarlish1813
cranky1821
stuntya1825
ill-natured1825
nattery1825
rantankerous1832
foul-tempered1835
cacochymical1836
as cross as two sticks1842
grumphy1846
knappy1855
carnaptious1858
cussed1858
three-cornered1863
snotty1870
sniffy1871
snorty1893
grouchy1895
scratchy1925
tight1950
stroppy1951
snitty1978
arsey1989
1832 J. K. Paulding Westward Ho! I. 180 Not he, the rantanckerous squatter.
1889 Washington Post 2 Aug. 4/3 General Rosser is up in Minnesota explaining some of his wild, rantankerous speeches.
1939 T. D. Clark Rampaging Frontier xv. 312 Dad wus sold—an' sold, too, by a rantankerous Yankee.
1944 Hayward (Calif.) Rev. 8 Dec. 6/3 The idea, thinking I'd marry a rantankerous old man like Mr. Ezry.
1977 R. Coover Public Burning xix. 336 It's the Phantom, boy, our natural and habitual enemy, a rantankerous mean shape.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1832