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Ornery: meaning, definitions and examples

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ornery

 

[ ˈɔːrnəri ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

difficult behavior

Easily annoyed or angered; having a difficult and contrary disposition.

Synonyms

cantankerous, cranky, grumpy

Examples of usage

  • He was known for his ornery attitude towards authority figures.
  • Don't let his ornery behavior get to you.
Context #2 | Adjective

stubborn

Unwilling to cooperate or be agreeable; having a stubborn or uncooperative attitude.

Synonyms

contrary, intractable, obstinate

Examples of usage

  • She can be quite ornery when she doesn't get her way.
  • His ornery nature makes it hard to work with him.

Translations

Translations of the word "ornery" in other languages:

🇵🇹 teimoso

🇮🇳 जिद्दी

🇩🇪 störrisch

🇮🇩 keras kepala

🇺🇦 впертий

🇵🇱 uparty

🇯🇵 頑固な (がんこな)

🇫🇷 têtu

🇪🇸 terco

🇹🇷 inatçı

🇰🇷 고집 센

🇸🇦 عنيد

🇨🇿 tvrdohlavý

🇸🇰 tvrdohlavý

🇨🇳 固执的 (gùzhí de)

🇸🇮 trmast

🇮🇸 þrjóskur

🇰🇿 қырсық

🇬🇪 ჯიუტი

🇦🇿 inadkar

🇲🇽 terco

Etymology

The word 'ornery' originated in the United States in the mid-19th century. It is believed to have come from the dialectical pronunciation of 'ordinary'. Over time, 'ornery' evolved to mean difficult, stubborn, or irritable. The term is often used colloquially to describe someone with a challenging or cantankerous attitude.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #33,557 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.