ornery
6 synonyms for ornery, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Stubborn, grumpy, and difficult to deal with.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use ornery
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
ornery old man
get ornery
Informal, mostly American — has a folksy, rural flavor.
Etymology
A dialect contraction of "ordinary" — the word originally just meant "common" or "plain," but drifted over time in American speech to mean stubborn and cranky.
Full origin of ornery →Frequently asked questions
What does “ornery” mean?
The word “ornery” means stubborn, grumpy, and difficult to deal with. In plain terms, grumpy, stubborn, and hard to deal with.
How do you pronounce “ornery”?
“Ornery” is pronounced AW-nuh-ree (/ˈɔɹnəɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “ornery” in a sentence?
Here is “ornery” used in a sentence: “The old mule was too ornery to be led anywhere.”
What part of speech is “ornery”?
“Ornery” is an adjective.
