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Crabbiness Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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crabbiness

[ˈkræbiˌnəs ]

Definitions

Context #1 | Noun

feeling

The quality of being ill-tempered or irritable; a grumpy or grouchy attitude.

Synonyms

grouchiness, grumpiness, irritability.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
crabbiness

Crabbiness is used to describe a state of being easily annoyed or having a bad temper. It often refers to a temporary mood rather than a long-lasting personality trait.

  • After a long day at work, his crabbiness was understandable.
  • Her crabbiness in the morning usually disappears after she has her coffee.

Examples of usage

  • He woke up in a state of crabbiness and didn't want to talk to anyone.
  • Her crabbiness only seemed to increase as the day went on.
Context #2 | Noun

behavior

The tendency to be easily annoyed or angered; a disposition to complain or find fault.

Synonyms

discontent, peevishness, surliness.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
crabbiness

This word is often used informally to describe someone's irritability or bad mood, usually for a short period of time.

  • Despite his usual crabbiness in the morning, he was surprisingly pleasant today
peevishness

Peevishness refers to a tendency to be easily annoyed or irritated, usually over petty things. It often has a mildly negative connotation.

  • Her peevishness became apparent when she snapped at her colleague for moving her papers
surliness

Surliness implies a more deeply ingrained, often habitual bad temper or unfriendly demeanor. It has a strong negative connotation.

  • The doorman's surliness made the hotel guests feel unwelcome
discontent

This term is more formal and is generally used to describe a feeling of dissatisfaction, often with a situation or environment rather than just mood.

  • The employees' discontent was evident due to the lack of pay raises

Examples of usage

  • His constant crabbiness made it difficult for others to be around him.
  • The customer's crabbiness was evident in the way she spoke to the staff.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Origin of 'crabbiness'

The word 'crabbiness' is derived from the Middle English 'crabbed' meaning 'peevish, contrary'. It has roots in the Old English 'crabba' which referred to a crab or a crab-like person. Over time, the term evolved to describe a person's irritable or grouchy demeanor. The use of 'crabbiness' to convey a state of irritability or grouchiness has been prevalent in English language for centuries.

See also: Crab, crabby.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #43,110, this word is among the least frequently used in common English. Understanding it can be beneficial for comprehensive language mastery, but it's not essential for most learners.