crustiness
Bread's rough edge
Crustiness is the quality of being crusty—having a hard outer layer, like good bread, or being irritable and short-tempered, like a grumpy old man.
The two senses connect through the idea of a tough exterior: His crustiness hides a generous heart.
The word often implies the gruffness is more bark than bite.
Crumbly or unreliable
- crumblyProne to fragmenting
- crispFirm and breakable
- crunchyBreaking with sound
- hardenedMade tough or unfeeling
golden · toasted · baked · brittle · crackling · shatter · snap · crack
Extremely dry or thirsty
- aridDevoid of water
- desiccatedThoroughly dehydrated
- chappedSkin rough from dryness
- wizenedShrunken from age
shriveled · scaly · roughened · dusty · flaking · peeling · cracked · weathered
Irritable in temperament
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
- curmudgeonlyBad-tempered and uncooperative
- irritableEasily provoked to annoyance
- gruffHarsh in manner
surly · crotchety · brusque · testy · peevish · irascible · ornery · ill-tempered
flaky
Crumbly or unreliable
hardened · golden · toasted · baked · brittle · crackling · shatter · snap · crack · crispy
parched
Extremely dry or thirsty
- aridDevoid of water
- desiccatedThoroughly dehydrated
- chappedSkin rough from dryness
wizened · shriveled · scaly · roughened · dusty · flaking · peeling · cracked · weathered · leathery
grumpy
Irritable in temperament
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
- curmudgeonlyBad-tempered and uncooperative
- irritableEasily provoked to annoyance
gruff · surly · crotchety · brusque · testy · peevish · irascible · ornery · ill-tempered · prickly
crustinesswarmth
Heat you feel
friendliness · geniality · affability · amiability · cordiality
crustinesssoftness
Yielding to gentle pressure
freshness · moistness · sponginess · squishiness · tenderness
crust, crusty, crustacean, encrust, crusting, encrusted, encrusting, incrustation, encrustation