What does crankly mean?
Crankly is an adjective meaning irritable or bad-tempered, as in a crankly old man who complains about everything. It also has a more specialized mechanical sense: a crankly machine or mechanism operates awkwardly, jerkily, or irregularly. The word is less common than cranky, which is usually the first form people encounter when describing a difficult person, but crankly is especially useful when a context calls for a slightly literary or technical tone. In personal use, crankly often suggests impatience, suspicion, or an unwillingness to tolerate inconvenience. In descriptions of machinery, it identifies a system that works unevenly or demands unnecessary effort. The word belongs to a productive English family based on crank, including crankshaft, crankcase, and crankpin. Its two senses neatly reflect that mechanical origin: one concerns the disposition of a person, while the other concerns the movement of a machine.
adjectiveCrankly means irritable or bad-tempered. It can also describe machinery or a mechanism that operates awkwardly or with jerky, irregular movements.
- Irritable, bad-tempered, or difficult to deal with.
- Awkward or irregular in operation, especially of machinery or a mechanism.
"The old engine was crankly and coughed whenever it was worked hard."
"The novelist's crankly, eccentric narrator was difficult to like at first."
"The mechanism became crankly and stopped whenever the temperature dropped."
Crankly has a double life: it can describe a person in a foul mood or an engine that refuses to cooperate.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does crankly come from?
Crankly is an English formation combining crank with the adjectival suffix -ly. Its mechanical sense follows directly from crank, while its temperamental sense reflects the established association of a crank with an eccentric, difficult, or awkward person. Compounds such as crankshaft, crankcase, and crankpin belong to the same word family and preserve the idea of a rotating mechanical part.
Related word forms
How crankly is actually used
Crankly is somewhat literary and less common than the variant cranky. Its mechanical sense is relatively uncommon, while the temperamental sense can sound mildly formal or old-fashioned.
Easily confused with crankly
Cranky is the more common adjective for an irritable person, whereas crankly can describe either a bad-tempered person or machinery that operates awkwardly.