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thorny

[ thawr-nee ]
/ ˈθɔr ni /
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See synonyms for: thorny / thorniness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, thorn·i·er, thorn·i·est.
abounding in or characterized by thorns; spiny; prickly.
overgrown with thorns or brambles.
painful; vexatious: a thorny predicament.
full of difficulties, complexities, or controversial points: a thorny question.

OTHER WORDS FOR thorny

5 tough, sticky, ticklish, perplexing.
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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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use thorny in a sentence

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
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