be grumpy

[/bi ˈɡrʌmpi/]
verb phrase
estar de mau humor
1. to be in a bad mood; to be irritable, moody, or bad-tempered
He tends to be grumpy in the mornings before his coffee.
Ele tende a estar de mau humor nas manhãs antes do seu café.
2. to complain or grumble frequently; to express discontent
Don't be grumpy about the weather; there's nothing we can do about it.
Não fique reclamando do tempo; não há nada que possamos fazer a respeito.
In Brazilian culture, being grumpy is often attributed to lack of coffee or sleep, and it's commonly joked about. Americans similarly use this phrase to describe someone who is irritable or needs their morning coffee. It's generally acceptable to acknowledge grumpiness humorously rather than as a serious character flaw, and it's often temporary and situation-dependent.
NYC Slang
be in a bad mood; be a grouch
Synonyms / Sinônimos
be moodybe irritablebe bad-temperedbe crankybe surlybe grouchy
Antonyms / Antônimos
be cheerfulbe happybe pleasantbe good-naturedbe in a good mood

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
estar de mau humor
most common and widely understood expression
Rio de Janeiro
estar chato
colloquial alternative meaning to be annoyed or irritable
São Paulo
estar mal-humorado
formal variant used in urban contexts
Portugal
estar de má disposição
Portuguese variant; literally 'to be in bad disposition'

Related Words

grump (noun)grumpiness (noun)grumpily (adverb)grumble (verb)irritate (verb)

Related Idioms & Phrases

wake up on the wrong side of the bed (acordar do lado errado da cama)
get out of bed on the wrong side (sair da cama pelo lado errado)
have a chip on your shoulder (estar com raiva de algo)
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