Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

crabby

/ˈkɹæb.i/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.46 in modern English

Syllables: crab-by
IPA: /ˈkɹæb.i/

15

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Relating to or resembling crabs; crablike.

adj

Abounding with crabs.

adj

Visibly irritated or annoyed; grouchy, irritable, in a foul mood; given to complaining or finding fault in an annoyed way.

adj

Crabbed; difficult or perplexing.

Example Sentences

"As for animal life, this is the "Crabbiest Place in the World," where 20 land and intertidal crabs range from tiny beach dwellers to the chunky robber crabs that crack coconuts with their massive claws."
""You're not crabby, are you?" "No, no, not at all. I think I'll go.""

Etymology

Etymology tree English crab Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English crabby From crab + -y.

Inflected Forms

crabbier (comparative) crabbiest (superlative)

Derived Forms

crabbily crabbiness

Frequently Paired Words

crab crabbed crablike

Synonyms

ratty crabbed cross fussy grouchy grumpy bad-tempered ill-tempered

Rhymes With

abbey abby shabby gabby abbie gaby tabby flabby cabbie abbe cabby abie

Questions

How do you pronounce crabby?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɹæb.i/.
What does crabby mean?: Relating to or resembling crabs; crablike.
Where does crabby come from?: Etymology tree English crab Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English crabby From crab + -y.

How to pronounce crabby

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “crabby”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkɹæb.i/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “crabby”.
Repeat and practice — Say “crabby” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.