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thorny

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thorny

  • /ˈθɔːni/ UK
  • /ˈθɔɹni/ US

Rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)ni

Where it comes from

From Middle English thorny, þorny, þorni, from Old English þorniġ, from Proto-West Germanic *þornag. By surface analysis, thorn + -y.

adjective thornier · thorniest

  1. literally Having thorns or spines. Tara flour is one of two products made from the seed pods of a thorny shrub native to Peru. One of those, tara gum, has been used safely for years as a thickening agent or stabilizer in human foods.

    Similar: prickly, spiny

  2. figuratively Troublesome or vexatious. thorny issues
  3. figuratively Aloof and irritable. Come, Jo, don't be thorny. After studying himself to a skeleton all the week, a fellow deserves petting, and ought to get it.

Translations

Every language

adj having thorns

Españolespinoso, espinudo
हिन्दीकटीला kaṭīlā
Portuguêsespinhento, espinhoso
Françaisépineux
Deutschdornig
Italianospinoso
Ελληνικάαγκαθερός agkatherós
Русскийколю́чий koljúčij, терни́стый ternístyj
العربيةشَائِك šāʔik
עבריתקֹוצָנִי kotzaní

adj troublesome

Españolespinoso, espinudo, peliagudo
中文棘手 jíshǒu, 難纏 /难缠 nánchán, 麻煩 /麻烦
Portuguêsespinhoso
Françaisépineux
Deutschdornig, schwierig, problematisch
Italianospinoso
Русскийтерни́стый ternístyj, тру́дный trúdnyj
العربيةشَائِك šāʔik

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Cite this
MLA

"thorny." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/thorny. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

thorny. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/thorny

Chicago

"thorny." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/thorny.

BibTeX
@misc{thorny_2026,
  title = {thorny},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/thorny},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}