How is the word ‘curmudgeon’ pronounced?

The ‘u’ in the first syllable and the ‘eo’ in the last syllable are pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The second ‘u’ is like the ‘u’ in ‘cut’, ‘hut’, and ‘but’, while the ‘dg’ that follows is pronounced like the ‘j’ in ‘jam’, ‘jeep’, and ‘juice’. The main stress is on the second syllable. This is one way of pronouncing the word. Some people pronounce the ‘ur’ in the first syllable like the ‘ur’ in ‘burn’ and ‘burst’.

When you call someone a curmudgeon, what you mean is that you are not particularly fond of the individual because he is bad tempered. The word is considered to be rather old fashioned, and is usually used with men.
Example: Rahul decided to resign because he couldn’t put up with his new boss, a terrible old curmudgeon.

 Source: ‘Know Your English’ ( The Hindu) – June 18, 2007