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snowynight ([personal profile] snowynight) wrote2022-07-06 10:34 am
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Word of the Day: Cantankerous

Cantankerous (adjective)

Pronunciation: can·​tan·​ker·​ous | \ kan-ˈtaŋ-k(ə-)rəs

Definition: difficult or irritating to deal with

Word origin: Unknown. "It’s been speculated that cantankerous is a product of the Middle English contack, meaning “contention,” under the influence of a pair of words: rancorous and cankerous. Rancorous brings the anger and "bitter deep-seated ill will" (as rancor can be understood to mean). And cankerous brings the perhaps understandable foul mood: a cankerous person suffers from painful sores—that is, cankers." from Merriam Webster web site 

Example sentence: "But if you asked us how the cantankerous creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm could possibly help alleviate the stresses and symptoms of a disease as insidious as schizophrenia, the only answer we’d be able to come up with is “leave the room.”" Keegan Kelly, How Curb Your Enthusiasm Was Used To Treat Schizophrenia , 4 Jul 2022