Easily irritated or annoyed. The cranky toddler threw a tantrum when he didn't get his way.
Prone to break down or operate erratically, especially of a machine or device. The cranky old laptop froze every few minutes.
Eccentric, odd, or unconventional in ideas or behaviour. Her cranky theories about parallel universes fascinated her students.
Lacking stability and liable to tip over, especially of a boat or ship. The small dinghy felt cranky in the choppy water.