The state or quality of being cross; bad temper, irritability, or angry disposition.
From 'cross' (adjective, meaning ill-tempered) + '-ness' (Old English suffix for abstract nouns). This standard formation creates nouns from adjectives describing emotional states.
The Victorians used 'crossness' constantly in their writing—it was a favorite word to describe when someone was grumpy, and it sounds so much more expressive than just saying 'anger.'
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