ornery

[ awr-nuh-ree ]

adjective

, Dialect.

, or·ner·i·er, or·ner·i·est.

1. ugly and unpleasant in disposition or temper:

   No one can get along with my ornery cousin.

   Synonyms: ill-tempered, testy, surly, ill-natured, mean

2. stubborn:

   I can't do a thing with that ornery mule.

3. low or vile.
4. inferior or common; ordinary.

ornery

/ ˈɔːnərɪ /

adjective

1. stubborn or vile-tempered
2. low; treacherous

   an ornery trick

3. ordinary

Derived Forms

• ˈorneriness, noun

Other Words From

• orner·i·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ornery¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; contraction of ordinary

Word History and Origins

Origin of ornery¹

C19: alteration of ordinary

Example Sentences

Located just south of the park’s northeast entrance, past the green prairies and ornery bison herds, this viewpoint looks out over a veritable maze of fast-eroding, rust-tinted badlands formations.

From Outside Online

Daniel Craig’s farewell to the franchise is a work of ornery grace, and a reminder that nothing lasts forever.

From Time

Principled but also a bit thuggish, witty yet vaguely ornery, taciturn yet capable of being wounded, he became—by stealth, across five pictures—the best version of the character, the one we didn’t know we wanted.

From Time

The experience helped me to understand my emotions toward her in a way I never could have managed as an ornery 13-year-old.

From MIT Technology Review

In the early days, the kid was “an ornery, little s---,” he remembers.

From Washington Post

The characters you play on the show are extremely diverse—ranging from a cocaine-rattled rich boy to an ornery Jewish grandpa.

From The Daily Beast

The budding relationship between the ornery sexagenarian and the precocious young child ultimately gives the film its momentum.

From The Daily Beast

With Nebraska, however, the movie received a 10-minute standing ovation by the famously ornery French crowd.

From The Daily Beast

We had some pretty ornery people, and we had to find a way to compromise and get things done.

From The Daily Beast

He's an ornery cuss kind of Republican, extremely critical of Bush and Cheney back in the day.

From The Daily Beast

With a roast apple in his snout, and a ribbon—a blue—no, a pink ribbon decorating his ornery little tail.

From Project Gutenberg

I felt so ornery and low down and mean that I says to myself, my mind's made up; I'll hive that money for them or bust.

From Project Gutenberg

The Irish may be ornery, and they aint worth much, but they are a whole lot better than the —— —— Dutch.

From Project Gutenberg

I'm for the Union as she air, and withered be the arm of every ornery cuss who attempts to bust her up.

From Project Gutenberg

The jail was a ornery edifiss, but the table was librally surplied with Bakin an Cabbidge.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cranky
• grouchy
• grumpy
• hard-nosed
• ill-tempered
• nasty
• obstinate
• vicious