Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

crotchety

/ˈkɹɑ.t͡ʃɪ.ti/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.05 in modern English

Syllables: crotch-ety
IPA: /ˈkɹɑ.t͡ʃɪ.ti/

19

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Cranky, disagreeable, or stubborn, especially if prone to odd whims or fancies.

Example Sentences

"He wouldnt even let old Wilkie touch it do you remember Gerald but always gathered it himself and made his own julep. He was as crochety about his julep as an old maid, measuring everything by a recipe in his head."
"He has a happy home life, two sitcoms on the go and a new book in the offing. So why is the comedian, actor and Observer columnist still so crotchety?"

Etymology

From crotchet + -y, using crotchet in the 16th-century sense of a whim or fancy.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: crotchet

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈkɹɑ.t͡ʃɪ.ti/
British English: /ˈkɹɒtʃ.ə.tɪ/

Inflected Forms

crotchetier (comparative) more crotchety (comparative) crotchetiest (superlative) most crotchety (superlative) crochety (alternative)

Derived Forms

crotchetily crotchetiness uncrotchety

Phrases

old man yells at cloud

Frequently Paired Words

old man yells at cloud

Synonyms

cantankerous ornery

Questions

How do you pronounce crotchety?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɹɑ.t͡ʃɪ.ti/.
What does crotchety mean?: Cranky, disagreeable, or stubborn, especially if prone to odd whims or fancies.
Where does crotchety come from?: From crotchet + -y, using crotchet in the 16th-century sense of a whim or fancy.

How to pronounce crotchety

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