Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Tending to complain or grumble; peevish or grumpy.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Sullen; morose; peevish; grouty.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective given to complaining or grumbling; prone to show annoyance at slight provocation; irritable.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective annoyed and irritable

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From grouch + -y. Originally US college student slang.

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Examples

  • The only way that people have a "right" to be grouchy is if they are "ACTIVELY" engaged in doing something about the problems.

    'People have a right to be grouchy,' Axelrod says 2009

  • As a Democrat, the only reason I'm grouchy is because I'm sick and tired of the endless negativity and criticism by the right, on every nit-picking thing they can come up with.

    'People have a right to be grouchy,' Axelrod says 2009

  • The reason people are grouchy is because they are starting to wake up and realize that the FEEL-GOOD-DON'T-SWEAT-THE-DETAILS ELECTION OF 2008 is having some pretty costly consequences.

    'People have a right to be grouchy,' Axelrod says 2009

  • First Impression: Oscar is described as grouchy, likely thanks to Oscar the Grouch of Sesame Street fame.

    5-Star Baby Name Advisor Bruce Lansky 2008

  • First Impression: Oscar is described as grouchy, likely thanks to Oscar the Grouch of Sesame Street fame.

    5-Star Baby Name Advisor Bruce Lansky 2008

  • I didnt acctually cook on my own till I was about 12 years old, I am the oldest of 4 kids and my youngest sister was hungry one day and the only thing I could figure out how to cook was a grilled chease sandwich... at that time she called a grouchy sandwich she was 6

    The Cook Next Door Meme FoodNinja 2005

  • – and "grouchy" is a gross understatement for the suffering that so many American citizens are now subjected to because of it.

    'People have a right to be grouchy,' Axelrod says 2009

  • (Bert, too, is described as grouchy; none of the characters, in fact, is especially sunshiney except maybe Ernie, who also seems slow.) "We might not be able to create a character like Oscar now," she said.

    From the WSJ Opinion Archives James Taranto 2007

  • He was long known as a grouchy shoe-maker, but was sanitized in the 1950s by advertisers and Walt Disney.

    Yahoo! Buzz US: Top Stories 2010

  • "In the television ad ... the apple character is named Bad Apple and is described as grouchy and sour and depicted as meddling and scheming," they wrote.

    Adland 2009

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