curmudgeon
Saykur-MUJ-uhn/kɚˈmʌd͡ʒən/UK/kɜːˈmʌdʒ.ən/
Pluralcurmudgeons
- 1A bad-tempered person with stubborn ideas or opinions, often an older man.
The film critic was a lovable curmudgeon who disliked nearly every new release.
Even the office curmudgeons cracked a smile at the retirement party.
UsageOften softened: a lovable curmudgeon, an old curmudgeon. The adjective is curmudgeonly.
- 2A miser; a person who hoards money and spends as little of it as possible.
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Origin
Of unclear origin; many folk etymologies exist. It is recorded from the late 1500s as curmudgeon and curmudgen, with many other spellings in the 17th century. A form cornmudgin from 1600 has been suggested as the original, but curmudgeon is recorded earlier, so cornmudgin was probably a one-off coinage.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 5 facts
- The word's origin is unclear. worldwidewords.org
- Many folk etymologies exist. en.wiktionary.org
- The forms curmudgeon and curmudgen are recorded from the late 1500s. en.wiktionary.org
- Numerous other spellings occurred in the 17th century. en.wiktionary.org
- Cornmudgin occurs in 1600 and has been proposed as the original form; earlier evidence for curmudgeon makes a deliberate one-off formation more likely. wordorigins.org