adj

thorny

THAW-nee

Thorny (adj) means Covered in or bearing thorns or spines. Example: “The gardener wore thick gloves to handle the thorny rose bushes.”

adj

Covered in or bearing thorns or spines.

"The gardener wore thick gloves to handle the thorny rose bushes."

Difficult, complicated, or likely to cause disagreement.

"Immigration remains a thorny issue in national politics."

"They avoided the thorny question of who would pay for the repairs."

How to use thorny

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishLiterally full of thorns, or figuratively a tricky problem that's hard to handle without upsetting someone.

Common pairings

a thorny issue thorny problem thorny question

Word forms

thornier comparative, thorniest superlative

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The gardener wore thick gloves to handle the _____ rose bushes.

Etymology

From Old English þorniġ, built from thorn plus the adjective-forming suffix -y.

Origin: Old English

Rhymes for thorny

horny corny

See all rhymes for thorny →

Frequently asked questions

What does “thorny” mean?

The word “thorny” means covered in or bearing thorns or spines. In plain terms, literally full of thorns, or figuratively a tricky problem that's hard to handle without upsetting someone.

How do you pronounce “thorny”?

“Thorny” is pronounced THAW-nee (/ˈθɔɹni/ in IPA).

How do you use “thorny” in a sentence?

Here is “thorny” used in a sentence: “The gardener wore thick gloves to handle the thorny rose bushes.”

What part of speech is “thorny”?

“Thorny” is an adjective.

Where does the word “thorny” come from?

The word “thorny” comes from Old English. From Old English þorniġ, built from thorn plus the adjective-forming suffix -y.

How many meanings does “thorny” have?

“Thorny” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: covered in or bearing thorns or spines.