Cantankerous

Very irritable and quarrelsome; difficult to deal with.

adjective

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Imagine This

A large family is going on a vacation, but doesn’t have any space left in the family car, so the father rents a can tanker to hook to the back of the family car. Three of his children are assigned to ride in the tanker, but they didn’t like it because there was no air conditioning. They screamed and complained, making their father very angry. 'Stop being so irritating!' cried the father.

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Sounds Like

kan-TANG-ker-əs

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Looks Like

Contains the word 'tank' in the middle (cant + tank + erous).

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Remember This

A tanker is a vehicle or vessel that carries liquids (for example oil).

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Other Forms

cantankerousnessnoun

cantankerouslyadverb

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Connect With

irascible, ornery, obstinate, uncooperative, curmudgeonly

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Note

Be careful not to confuse cantankerous with cant or with non-existent related forms; use cantankerous to describe a person or animal who is ill-tempered or uncooperative.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The cantankerous old man argued with the mayor at every meeting.
Despite his warm smile, the cantankerous professor would snap at students who interrupted.

Synonyms

irascibleorneryobstinateuncooperativecurmudgeonly

Antonyms

affableamiableagreeable

Etymology

Origin uncertain; likely American coinage from the 18th–19th centuries, possibly formed by blending cant- (hypocritical talk) with -ankerous to describe a quarrelsome temperament.

Mnemonic

Cantankerous: remember as cant + tank + er + ous — a person so irritable they act like a stubborn tank that won’t move.