thorny

[ thawr-nee ]
/ ˈθɔr ni /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR thorny ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, thorn·i·er, thorn·i·est.

abounding in or characterized by thorns; spiny; prickly.
thornlike.
overgrown with thorns or brambles.
painful; vexatious: a thorny predicament.
full of difficulties, complexities, or controversial points: a thorny question.

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CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of thorny

before 1000; Middle English; Old English thornig. See thorn, -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM thorny

thorn·i·ly, adverbthorn·i·ness, nounun·thorn·y, adjective

Words nearby thorny

thornbill, thornbush, thorndike, thornhill, thornton, thorny, thoro, thorold, thoron, thorough, thorough bass
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to thorny

prickly, spiky, tricky, unpleasant, troublesome, perplexing, awkward, sticky, bothersome, ticklish, nettlesome, irksome, barbed, bristly, thistly, spiny, bristling, spinous, baffling, formidable

British Dictionary definitions for thorny

thorny
/ (ˈθɔːnɪ) /

adjective thornier or thorniest

bearing or covered with thorns
difficult or unpleasanta thorny problem
sharp

Derived forms of thorny

thornily, adverbthorniness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012