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cranky

cranky

1 9.5
A boat that leans easily and feels unstable in the water
  • adjective
  • /ˈkræŋki/
  • Jargon
translation icon : escoradizo
  • Every cranky bare-legged horse that comes in the stable I'll line up for you to look after.

Examples

  • But this isn't a cranky horse; it's a scared horse.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • They're alright on a quiet horse, but give them a cranky one, they go to pieces.

  • So it's a little bit cranky right now.

  • Hold that cranky response.

  • Just make a visual note of where the barf bag is located, take a nice deep breath, and hope the strip you're landing on isn't feeling too cranky.

    Blog text (21)
  • The rest of the world has looked on in growing incredulity as the young, charming, and filled-with-potential nation has grown into a self-indulgent, cranky, and unstable adolescent with a god complex and nuclear weapons.

    Blog text (30)
  • The sailboat felt cranky as the winds picked up, tilting dangerously to one side.

  • During our trip, we realized the old yacht was particularly cranky whenever we sailed in choppy waters.

  • He warned that the dinghy could be quite cranky under full sail, especially with inexperienced sailors on board.

Synonyms

tippy
vscranky
8 7.5

Unsteady and likely to fall over easily

is specific to boats and describes leaning over when under sail
crank
vscranky
  • Jargon
3 9.1

A boat that easily tips in the water

is the same meaning but used as an alternative term
tender
vscranky
  • Specialized
1 8.9

Likely to lean or tip easily when under sail

highlights general lack of balance in the water rather than cause

Antonyms

473 2.3

Not likely to change and stays steady over time

101 1.0

Having different parts in the right amounts so the whole is fair and steady

How Stable

stable
473 2.3
balanced
101 1.0
cranky
  • Jargon
1 9.5
unsteady
16 3.3
tender
  • Specialized
1 8.9

Surface Forms

cranky positive
crankier comparative
crankiest superlative

Morphology

cranky = crank (semi-transparent) = crank + y

Formally 'crank' + '-y' is clear, but the nautical sense 'inclined to heel' is specialized and not directly predictable from the common senses of 'crank'.

Etymology

Cranky for a boat also comes from crank, a word used to mean 'unsteady' or weak, so a cranky boat is one that leans or tips easily in the water.