thorny

1 of 2

adjective

thornier; thorniest
Synonyms of thornynext
1
: full of thorns
2
: full of difficulties or controversial points : ticklish
a thorny problem
thorniness noun

thorniness

2 of 2

noun

thorn·​i·​ness
-nēnə̇s
-nin-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being thorny

Examples of thorny in a Sentence

Adjective stay out of the thorny brambles unless you want a ton of scratches
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Even discussing a film from 1990, that’s a thorny observation to ignore. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 June 2026 As is true of any good museum, the history presented at the Anacostia Community Museum is thorny and sometimes uncomfortable. Camille Borders, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026 Memories of those early, exhausting days of fatherhood cannot be extricated from the challenges of rewriting a particularly thorny vignette. Literary Hub, 2 June 2026 The much thornier issues involving Iran's nuclear capacity would be addressed during the 60-day ceasefire. Joey Garrison, USA Today, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for thorny

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thorny was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorny. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

thorny

adjective
thornier; thorniest
1
: full of or covered with thorns
thorny rose bushes
2
: full of difficulties
a thorny problem
thorniness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on thorny

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster