“grumpy”

Habitually grumpy and difficult to please, especially in an endearingly cantankerous way.

“The curmudgeonly librarian slapped a fine on the desk without looking up from his crossword.”

Best for: Works well for characters with a crusty charm; common in literary fiction and journalism.

Bad-tempered and uncooperative, prone to argument and complaint.

“She gave the cantankerous old goat a wide berth every morning before his second coffee.”

Best for: Great for colorful character descriptions; slightly formal but widely understood.

Irritably ill-humored, as if soured by an excess of bile.

“He shot a bilious glare at the cheerful receptionist and muttered something unprintable.”

Best for: Adds a physical, visceral edge to bad temper; suits journalism and sharp prose.

Irritable and gloomy, as though perpetually suffering from indigestion of the soul.

“The dyspeptic critic dismissed the standing ovation with a slow, contemptuous blink.”

Best for: Ideal for satirical writing or wry character sketches; slightly literary.

Marked by bad temper and spite, as if governed by a diseased spleen.

“His splenetic letters to the editor had become a beloved institution of the local paper.”

Best for: A richly historical term; perfect for literary or period-flavored writing.

Of a melancholy, irritable temperament, from the old humoral concept of black bile.

“The atrabiliarious professor haunted the faculty lounge like a specter of perpetual dissatisfaction.”

Best for: Extremely rare and deliberately archaic; use for maximum stylistic audacity.