scontroso
/skonˈtro.zo/
The English word grumpy translates to the Italian adjective scontroso.
Scontroso is used to describe someone who is grumpy, irritable or cantankerous. If you want to describe someone who is specifically grumpy because they tend to grumble or mutter discontentedly, you can use brontolone.
Meaning: dissatisfied and irritable (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective scontroso changes its ending to agree with the subject: use scontrosa for a feminine singular subject, scontrosi for a masculine plural subject and scontrose for a feminine plural subject.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /skonˈtro.zo/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- While scontroso describes a personality, brontolone mimics the sound of thunder, brontolio. It describes a person who grumbles like a distant storm.
- The verb brontolare, the root of brontolone, is frequently used to describe the sound of a stomach growling when someone is hungry.
- In Italian, describing someone as brontolone is often used affectionately for grandparents, whereas scontroso is more likely to be seen as a genuine character flaw.
Examples in context
- Tom è scontroso, vero?Tom is grumpy, isn't he?This sentence is useful for checking if someone's personality is scontroso.Tatoeba #4485002 by Guybrush88, translation #3417150 by CK
- È un anziano scontroso.He's a grumpy old man.This sentence is useful for describing a specific person as scontroso.Tatoeba #3437204 by Guybrush88, translation #1934783 by Spamster
- È scontroso oggi, vero?He's grumpy today, isn't he?This sentence is useful for noting that someone is being scontroso at a specific moment.Tatoeba #8702504 by Guybrush88, translation #8527325 by CH
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are talking about their boss.
- SofiaIl capo è scontroso stamattina.The boss is grumpy this morning.
- FrancescoSì, non sorride mai.Yes, he never smiles.
- SofiaPerché è sempre così scontroso?Why is he always so grumpy?
- FrancescoForse ha solo bisogno di un caffè.Maybe he just needs a coffee.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grumpy” translations and entries scontroso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
