cantankerous crossword clue – All Crossword Answers
Welcome to Answercrossword.com! If you're stuck on the "cantankerous crossword clue," you've come to the right place. We provide a comprehensive list of all possible answers, organized by letter count, along with clear explanations to help you complete your puzzle with ease.
Solutions for "cantankerous crossword clue" by Letter Count
5 Letters
SURLY: Bad-tempered and unfriendly. Often used to describe a person who is habitually ill-humored.
6 Letters
CRABBY: Easily annoyed or made angry; peevish. A common term for someone with a sour disposition.
GRUMPY: Ill-tempered and irritable. Suggests a state of being unhappy or dissatisfied, leading to a disagreeable manner.
7 Letters
PEEVISH: Easily irritated, especially by unimportant things. Characterized by a querulous or fretful disposition.
9 Letters
IRASCIBLE: Having or showing a tendency to be easily angered. Points to a quick temper and proneness to outbursts.
11 Letters
BADTEMPERED: Having or showing a habitually bad temper. A straightforward descriptor for a consistently difficult person.
More About "cantankerous crossword clue"
"Cantankerous" is a word that describes someone who is often argumentative, uncooperative, and generally difficult to deal with. It implies a disagreeable disposition and a tendency to find fault or complain. In crosswords, clues containing "cantankerous" often lead to synonyms that capture this essence of ill-temper or obstinacy.
Understanding the nuances of such words is key to solving crosswords. While "cantankerous" directly means quarrelsome or ill-natured, its synonyms can vary in intensity or specific focus. For example, "grumpy" implies a generalized bad mood, while "irascible" points to a quick temper. Recognizing these subtle differences can help you select the precise answer that fits the letter count and intersecting words in your puzzle.
Tips For Your Next Puzzle
- Analyze the Word Length: Always check the number of letters required for the answer. This is your primary filter for possible solutions, significantly narrowing down the options for a clue like "cantankerous."
- Consider Synonyms and Antonyms: Crossword clues often rely on direct synonyms or, occasionally, antonyms (if the clue implies the opposite). For "cantankerous," think broadly about words describing unpleasant or difficult personalities.
- Look for Common Prefixes/Suffixes: Sometimes, knowing common crossword prefixes (like UN-, DIS-) or suffixes (-LY, -ISH) can help you deduce part of a longer word when you have some letters filled in.
- Don't Be Afraid to Use a Thesaurus: If you're stuck, a quick thesaurus search for the clue word can open up a world of possibilities, giving you new angles to consider.
For more advice, visit our page on general crossword strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'cantankerous' mean in the context of crosswords?
In crosswords, 'cantankerous' refers to someone who is often angry, irritable, or difficult to deal with. Clues using this word typically look for synonyms like GRUMPY, CRABBY, SURLY, or IRASCIBLE.
How can I find synonyms for 'cantankerous' for crosswords?
To find synonyms for 'cantankerous' in crosswords, think of words describing ill-tempered, quarrelsome, or difficult people. Consider word length, starting letters, and common crossword patterns. Words like CRABBY, SURLY, GRUMPY, or PEEVISH are frequent answers.
Are there common misspellings or tricky variations of 'cantankerous' to watch out for?
While 'cantankerous' itself is often a direct clue, the challenge lies in its numerous synonyms. Be aware of words that might appear similar but have slightly different nuances, like 'querulous' (complaining) or 'belligerent' (aggressive), which could be related but not direct fits depending on the clue's subtlety.