thorny
Americanadjective
-
thornier,
comparative
-
thorniest
superlative
adjective
-
bearing or covered with thorns
-
difficult or unpleasant
a thorny problem
-
sharp
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of thorny
before 1000; Middle English; Old English thornig. See thorn, -y 1
Explanation
Thorny things are either sharp and spiky, like a thorny briar patch, or troublesome and difficult, like a thorny problem. Either way, they can be painful! When you tackle a thorny rosebush, you'll need thick gloves and sharp pruning shears. When you tackle a thorny issue at work or at school, on the other hand, you might need tools like diplomacy and intelligence. This figurative meaning of thorny is useful for describing especially complex or distressing issues, like a thorny political problem that divides a nation.
Vocabulary lists containing thorny
All The Feels: Touching Words For Textures
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 5
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Part 2 Vocabulary (Unit 3)
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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.
See Examples For:
During US President Donald Trump's first administration, he even wrote about thorny topics such as the spread of misinformation on his platforms, external.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
However, it also means having to address thorny issues with the media, which currently include a perceived lack of signings.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
If you haven’t been following the controversy, Wilson felt that Nolan had flattened the saga by mostly erasing the Greek gods and Odysseus’ wit, lust and thorny contradictions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Even if a compromise is found over the fate of the army chief, Fedorov's future remains a thorny question.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
He talked nonstop, out of control, in a mix of Igbo and English, like soft meat and thorny bones.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
It’s a gauntlet made thornier whenever Murashige, who believes in mercy over violence, engages with Kanbei, chained in a dungeon but with a dangerous mind nonetheless.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
The U.S. is unlikely to reduce these much unless it gains ground on thornier issues, especially with Canada on lumber or dairy, says Owen Tedford, an analyst at Beacon Policy Advisors.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
The U.S. and Iran struck a preliminary peace deal last week that broadly calls for a 60-day cease-fire and punted some of the conflict’s thornier issues, such as Iran’s uranium stockpiles.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
And a culture of callouts, scandals, and fear may prevent media and publishing from wrestling with much thornier questions of authorship.
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2026
At present he is plain human, with the world-old malady gnawing at his heart, a pain which threatens to send his cogitations whooping down a thornier and rosier lane than any Buddha ever knew.
From The Lady and Sada San A Sequel to the Lady of the Decoration by Frances Little
One of the thorniest retirement decisions is choosing where to live.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 10, 2026
Unions say the measure would give them needed leverage and remove political pressure from the thorniest contract questions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026
By funding independent research organizations, Tech Labs sidesteps some of the thorniest debates about indirect costs and institutional overhead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
The territorial question is one of the thorniest.
From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2025
The Reagan had run afoul of nuclear power’s thorniest problem: radioactive isotopes.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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.
