What it means
Grumpy and tetchy, like your fuse is down to a millimetre. If someone’s narky, every little thing gets on their wick and they’ll snap over absolutely nowt. It’s often blamed on being knackered, hungry, skint, or just having a cursed Monday. Comes from 'nark' meaning to irritate or annoy, and it’s everywhere from offices to bus stops.
Usage examples
"Don’t ask Liam for help, he’s well narky today, two hours’ kip, no brew, and the chippy’s shut. Bloke’s ready to scrap a traffic cone."
"He gets proper narky if he misses his morning coffee, best leave him be."
Where it comes from
Grows from "nark", old slang for both a police informer and a needling annoyance, itself most likely from a Romani word for nose. To be narky is to be all prickle and short temper, ready to snap at the smallest poke.
Other ways to say it
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