What it means
Grouchy is when someone’s in a right grumbly little mood and everything feels like it’s poking them in the last nerve. They’re snappy, moany, pulling faces, and generally hard work for a bit. Not properly raging, just sour, prickly, and giving off don’t-chat-to-me energy.
Usage examples
"Do not mind grandad, he just gets grouchy when his programme is interrupted."
"He was so grouchy all morning that we just left him alone with his coffee."
"He's proper grouchy before his morning coffee, best not to ask him anything."
"Sorry I was grouchy on the phone earlier, I'd had about three hours of sleep."
"Don't text her before lunch, she's always a bit grouchy if she's had a rubbish sleep."
Where it comes from
Grouchy comes from grouch, an American English noun that turned up in the late 1800s for a habitual complainer or bad-tempered moaner. The adjective grew from that base soon after and stuck fast. These days it’s a plain, everyday word across UK and US English for someone acting grumpy and irritable.
Other ways to say it
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