Definition

The condition of being easily annoyed or irritable.

Example

Her crankiness in the morning made it hard for others to talk to her.

Conversation

I’ve noticed you’ve had a bit of crankiness lately, is everything okay?

Yeah, I haven’t been sleeping well, so it’s been rough.

That makes sense; lack of sleep can really cause crankiness.

Totally! I just need to get back on a better schedule.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Crankiness → It is formed from "cranky" (originating from the dialectal English word "crank", meaning ill-tempered or irritable) and the suffix "-ness" (meaning the state or quality of). The word "crankiness" refers to the state of being cranky or irritable.

Memory Tip

Think of someone who is 'ill-tempered' ('cranky') and the '-ness' indicating a state. This helps you remember that crankiness means the state of being irritable.

Visually Confused Words