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
1
Covered in or bearing thorns or spines.
"The gardener wore thick gloves to handle the thorny rose bushes."
2
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 notesIn 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
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Word forms
- Comparative
- thornier
- Superlative
- thorniest
Fill the gap
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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.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for thorny
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.
