I. ˈkraŋkē, -raiŋ-, -ki adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Dutch or Low German krank sick + English -y — more at crank (person pretending epilepsy)
dialect : sickly , ailing , infirm
II. ˈkraŋki adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: crank (VI) + -y
dialect chiefly England : crank VI 2
III. ˈkraŋkē, -raiŋ-, -ki adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: crank (I) + -y
1. dialect : silly , imbecile , crazy , insane
2.
a. : out of working order : in bad condition
a cranky old wagon
b. : uncertain in operation : likely to miscarry, operate peculiarly, or break down : needing especial attention or ingenuity to operate : unpredictable , erratic
a rickety sled pulled by a cranky tractor — National Geographic
3.
a. : marked by capricious eccentricity or wrongheadedness
fighting for a European and ripened and wise philosophy against an insular and immature and cranky one — Times Literary Supplement
b. : given to fretful fussiness : crotchety , irritable
a cranky old man
4. : full of twists and turns : crooked , tortuous
a cranky road
Synonyms: see irascible
IV. adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: crank (IX) + -y
of a boat : liable to heel or tip : crank