crabbed
adjective
Example Sentences
Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2021 Guston’s searingly funny caricatures of Richard M. Nixon and his corrupt White House cronies, drawn mostly in short, crabbed lines, have been exhibited only twice before — once in Manhattan (2016) and once in London (2017). Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2019 No one can accuse this Court of having a crabbed view of the reach of its competence. WSJ, 27 June 2019 The core error here is the Texas Supreme Court’s crabbed understanding of Obergefell. Dale Carpenter, Washington Post, 2 July 2017 Word History
Middle English, partly from crabbe crustacean, partly from crabbe crab apple
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
crabbed
adjective
crabbed 1 of 2
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- sullen
- disagreeable
- grumpy
- crusty
- brusque
- surly
- antisocial
- gruff
- snippy
- curt
- blunt
- cross
- indecorous
- boorish
- uncouth
- churlish
- brusk
- supercilious
- abrupt
- vulgar
- clownish
- loutish
- haughty
- improper
- unseemly
- impudent
- insolent
- bumptious
- caddish
- imperious
- arrogant
- pompous
- indecent
- sharp
- saucy
- peremptory
- incorrect
- conceited
- pretentious
- thoughtless
- presumptuous
- discourteous
- brazen
- snippety
- ungracious
- high-handed
- brassy
- sassy
- brash
- impertinent
- disrespectful
- cheeky
- superior
- arch
- inconsiderate
- unmannerly
- unmannered
- audacious
- impolite
- uncivil
- unhandsome
- ill-bred
- shameless
- rude
- fresh
- lippy
- bold
- ill-mannered
- uncalled-for
- bold-faced
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- genteel
- thoughtful
- gracious
- civil
- polite
- humble
- courteous
- unassertive
- deferential
- meek
- modest
- considerate
- decorous
- dutiful
- good
- respectful
- proper
- right
- mannerly
- genial
- submissive
- hospitable
- appropriate
- felicitous
- seemly
- yielding
- correct
- acceptable
- fitting
- affable
- suitable
- friendly
- respectable
- fit
- graceful
- decent
- cordial
- well-bred
- becoming
- meet
- sociable
- gallant
- chivalrous
- befitting
- courtly
- elegant
- ceremonious
- refined
crabbed
2 of 2verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- complained
- screamed
- whined
- muttered
- moaned
- grizzled
- grumbled
- grouched
- bellyached
- growled
- groused
- yammered
- carped
- grumped
- murmured
- caterwauled
- griped
- inveighed
- worried
- bitched
- hollered
- cried
- keened
- bleated
- whimpered
- kvetched
- repined
- nagged
- whinged
- wailed
- squawked
- kicked
- yawped
- yowled
- squealed
- croaked
- maundered
- protested
- fussed
- beefed
- quibbled
- yauped
- fretted
- stewed
- cavilled
- kicked up a stink
- sobbed
- lamented
- blubbered
- deplored
- caviled
- kicked up a fuss
- bemoaned
- bewailed
- quarrelled (with)
- quarreled (with)
- objected (to)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rejoiced
- delighted
- took
- accepted
- bore
- crowed
- endured
- tolerated
- countenanced
- cheered
- applauded
- commended
Synonyms & Similar Words
- marred
- damaged
- injured
- crippled
- weakened
- compromised
- eroded
- impaired
- hurt
- spoiled
- disfigured
- flawed
- broke
- blemished
- bloodied
- vitiated
- undermined
- defaced
- battered
- harmed
- destroyed
- enfeebled
- ruined
- enervated
- wounded
- deteriorated
- spoilt
- shattered
- mangled
- tortured
- lacerated
- endamaged
- blighted
- dented
- tormented
- scoured
- hamstrung
- wrecked
- mutilated
- crossed (up)
- dinged
- washed out
- tarnished
- lamed
- disabled
- smashed
- maimed
- demolished
- crushed
- queered
- wasted
- dinted
- devastated
- pulverized
- botched
- decimated
- desolated
- wore (away)
- clobbered
- bashed
- dashed
- wiped out
- annihilated
- scourged
- tore down
- did in
- totaled
- razed
- gummed (up)
- banged up
- totalled
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- reconstructed
- fixed
- mended
- doctored
- repaired
- patched
- renovated
- revised
- cured
- reconditioned
- rebuilt
- helped
- refined
- rehabilitated
- remedied
- healed
- improved
- edited
- revamped
- rectified
- remodeled
- enriched
- ameliorated
- perfected
- enhanced
- bettered
- meliorated
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of crabbed are gloomy, glum, morose, saturnine, sulky, sullen, and surly. While all these words mean "showing a forbidding or disagreeable mood," crabbed applies to a forbidding morose harshness of manner.
The synonyms gloomy and crabbed are sometimes interchangeable, but gloomy implies a depression in mood making for seeming sullenness or glumness.
While in some cases nearly identical to crabbed, glum suggests a silent dispiritedness.
Morose adds to glum an element of bitterness or misanthropy.
The meanings of saturnine and crabbed largely overlap; however, saturnine describes a heavy forbidding aspect or suggests a bitter disposition.
In some situations, the words sulky and crabbed are roughly equivalent. However, sulky suggests childish resentment expressed in peevish sullenness.
The words sullen and crabbed are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sullen implies a silent ill humor and a refusal to be sociable.
While the synonyms surly and crabbed are close in meaning, surly implies gruffness and sullenness of speech or manner.