as in irritable
having or showing a habitually bad temper
an ornery old man who always yells at the neighborhood kids to keep off his lawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of ornery
The protagonist is an ornery, unemployed academic (Lee Sung-jae) who becomes fixated on a barking dog in his apartment complex, and goes to extreme lengths to silence it.
—
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
Perhaps Hackman sensed this in his final years acting, as he was known to be more ornery with each passing entry in his canon.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 1 Mar. 2025
This is a ghost story of sorts, written in cycles and loops, loafers and suits, ornery protest and wired-to-the-skies dance weekends.
—Ian Penman, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
In it, a very green Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) must contend with ornery cast members and writers, a set that's falling apart, meddling network execs, and threats from Hollywood icons.
—Jillian Sederholm, EW.com, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ornery
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
Perhaps Hackman sensed this in his final years acting, as he was known to be more ornery with each passing entry in his canon.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 1 Mar. 2025
This is a ghost story of sorts, written in cycles and loops, loafers and suits, ornery protest and wired-to-the-skies dance weekends.
—Ian Penman, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
In it, a very green Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) must contend with ornery cast members and writers, a set that's falling apart, meddling network execs, and threats from Hollywood icons.
—Jillian Sederholm, EW.com, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ornery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ornery
Adjective
-
The crew is under the supervision of the capable Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) who is prone to panic attacks as the group visits an irritable planet at the behest of The Corporation — a powerful business conglomerate where profit is indeed king.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
16 May 2025
-
It’s said to cause people to become irritable, aggravate health problems, and abrade mechanical devices.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
Late in the second half, with Arminia three goals down, the travelling fans were so angry that Fabian Klos, the club legend from whom Corboz inherited the captaincy, had to persuade them not to invade the pitch.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Parents and students said a substitute teacher chased, choked and hit a student after becoming angry in a fourth grade classroom at Meadowview.—
Samantha Moilanen,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
In time, Ian started laughing at other things too: stories Eve made up about a cantankerous Russian named Boris, the word debris, pots clanging, keys jangling.—
Sarah Zhang,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2025
-
Oldman’s performance in the show has been widely praised and he’s earned both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for playing the cantankerous head of Slough House, Jackson Lamb.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Now, Stefani realizes that her own family members — including her surly teen brother, Charlie (Teo Briones), and her cousins Erik (Richard Harmon), Julia (Anna Lore), and Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner) — are next in line.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
-
Requests are taken for the next amendment, and a surly, very cool Matt (Goggins) has a one-word answer: guns.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
11 May 2025
Adjective
-
Befriending Cressida Cowper is a respectable exercise in recognizing biases, but the pair’s interactions are as disagreeable as those bangs.—
Zoe Haylock,
Vulture,
16 May 2024
-
If Alex has a bit more credibility, not being as intractable in her positions, both have a tendency to come off as disagreeable in their incessant bickering and self-righteousness.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Under Nézet-Séguin, the musicians do the job spectacularly, releasing all those bilious harmonies and seething rhythms in an unbroken two-hour spasm of excitement.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2025
-
And Emily’s side of the family isn't much better, represented by her mean, bilious aunt (Allison Janney, herself no slouch in the hissing-authority department) and her boozy mother (Elizabeth Perkins, replacing Jean Smart from the first film).—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ornery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ornery. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share