Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
crosspatch

crosspatch

1 9.9
A person who is often bad-tempered and easily annoyed
  • noun
  • /ˈkrɔsˌpæʧ/
  • Offensive
translation icon : gruñón
  • Crosspatch, I only talked about forcing, not feedback, for a reason.

Examples

  • crosspatch says: January 14, 2012 at 12:39 am

    Blog text (18)

  • Well, what would you do if you were shut up all day with a fussy old crosspatch - who flies off the handle every move you make?

    Little Women (1933)

  • Crosspatch, crosspatch.

    Topper (1937)

  • Crosspatch, crosspatch.

    Topper (1937)

  • crosspatch (12:48:52): "But water accounts

    Blog text (19)

  • My neighbor is such a crosspatch; he always complains about the smallest things.

  • Everyone avoids talking to her because she is known as a crosspatch who gets angry easily.

  • The crosspatch at the office scolds anyone who tries to make a joke.

Synonyms

crank
vscrosspatch
  • Offensive
29 7.7

A person who is often angry and has strange ideas

is about habitual irritability without suggesting odd ideas
grouch
vscrosspatch
14 5.2

A person who is often bad-tempered and complains

is the same in meaning but is more old-fashioned or uncommon
grump
vscrosspatch
10 5.3

A person who is often in a bad mood and complains

is more consistently bad-tempered rather than sometimes annoyed

Antonyms

cheerful
111 1.0

Happy in a way you show with a smile or friendly actions

good-natured
19 2.4

Being friendly, cheerful, and easy to get along with

How Bad-Tempered

curmudgeon
  • Offensive
10 9.9
crosspatch
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Surface Forms

crosspatch singular
crosspatches plural

Morphology

crosspatch = cross + patch (semi-transparent) = cross + patch

Derived from 'cross' (angry) + 'patch' (an archaic word for a person), so the role of 'cross' is clear but the person-sense of 'patch' is not productive today.

Etymology

Crosspatch joins cross ('angry') and patch ('small rag' or 'shabby person'), making a picture of a grumpy, patched-up figure. So a crosspatch is someone who is often bad-tempered or irritable.