cantankerous
怒りっぽい
解説 Definition
すぐに怒ったり文句を言ったりする、気難しい性格を表します。一時的な不機嫌さというより、普段から扱いにくく怒りっぽい人柄を指す語です。
Cantankerous means often bad-tempered, argumentative, and easily annoyed. It is usually used for someone who complains a lot or is difficult to deal with. The word is stronger and more colorful than simply saying "grumpy."
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
cranky や grumpy よりも古風で、ただ不機嫌というより「文句が多く、すぐ腹を立てる気難しさ」まで含みます。an old cantankerous man のように、年配者や気難しい人物の描写でよく使われると押さえると記憶に残ります。annoyed や irritable が一時的なイライラにも使えるのに対し、cantankerous は性格として扱われやすい語です。
Link it with words like `cranky` and `grumpy`, but make it stronger and more old-fashioned. `Cantankerous` often describes someone who complains, argues, and gets annoyed again and again as part of their personality. A useful picture is `a cantankerous old man`. Think of a person who snaps at others, not someone who is only annoyed for one moment.
例文
The cantankerous old man shouted at the children for playing near his garden.
怒りっぽい老人は自分の庭の近くで遊ぶ子どもたちに怒鳴った。
Despite being cantankerous, the professor was deeply respected for his knowledge.
気難しいにもかかわらず、その教授は知識の深さで尊敬されていた。
The cantankerous shopkeeper argued with customers over the smallest complaints.
その怒りっぽい店主は、ごく小さな苦情にも客と言い争った。
cantankerous の類義語・関連語
cantankerous の語源・成り立ち Etymology
cantankerous は語源未詳ですが、古形 contenkerous が contentious「争い好きな」や rancorous「恨み深い」に引かれてできた語とされます。contention や rancor と並べると、怒りや口論の気配を帯びた語だと見えてきます。
Cantankerous has an uncertain origin. Early forms such as contenkerous suggest it may have been influenced by words like contentious and rancorous, which carry ideas of arguing and bitterness. Over time, it settled into a word for a habitually quarrelsome or bad-tempered manner.
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