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.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT 2ND-3RD GRADE VOCAB FROM BOOKS!

Are you learning new vocabulary? Or do you just have an interest in words? Either way, this quiz is for you.
Question 1 of 10
orchard
body of land completely surrounded by water
group of cultivated fruit trees
long mournful cry
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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