ornery
Americanadjective
-
ugly and unpleasant in disposition or temper.
No one can get along with my ornery cousin.
- Synonyms:
- testy, surly, ill-natured, ill-tempered, mean
-
stubborn.
I can't do a thing with that ornery mule.
-
low or vile.
-
inferior or common; ordinary.
adjective
-
stubborn or vile-tempered
-
low; treacherous
an ornery trick
-
ordinary
Other Word Forms
- orneriness noun
Etymology
Origin of ornery
First recorded in 1790–1800; contraction of ordinary
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Josh Charles stars as a talented but ornery surgeon who leaves his career in Boston to become a doctor in a small town.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025
Even the ornery and Scrooge-like Walter can’t help but become emotional at reading that.
From Salon • Nov. 23, 2023
It falls to Asha, her quirky friends, an ornery talking goat sidekick and a cute fallen star to rebel against Magnifico to get the wishes back.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 21, 2023
An ornery, board-jacking sea otter is terrorizing surfers off the coast of Santa Cruz.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 13, 2023
In Mqhekezweni there was a tribesman with an ornery old pig.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
