Crabbed

Part of speech: adjective (a.)

1. Characterized by or manifesting, sourness, peevishness, or moroseness; harsh; cross; cynical; -- applied to feelings, disposition, or manners. Crabbed age and youth can not live together. Shak.

2. Characterized by harshness or roughness; unpleasant; -- applied to things; as, a crabbed taste.

3. Obscure; difficult; perplexing; trying; as, a crabbed author. "Crabbed eloquence." Chaucer. How charming is divine philosophy! Not harsh and crabbed, as dull fools suppose. Milton.

4. Cramped; irregular; as, crabbed handwriting. -- Crab"bed*ly, adv. -- Crab"bed*ness, n.