definitions

thorny

[ thawr-nee ]
/ ˈθɔr ni /
|
SEE MORE 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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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

thornbill, thornbush, thorndike, thornhill, thornton, thorny, thoro, thorold, thoron, thorough, thorough bass

Origin of thorny

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

Related forms

thorn·i·ly, adverbthorn·i·ness, nounun·thorn·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for thorny

thorny

/ (ˈθɔːnɪ) /

adjective thornier or thorniest

bearing or covered with thorns
difficult or unpleasanta thorny problem
sharp

Derived Forms

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