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
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Recent Examples of ornery
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
The toy comes to life, fends off some ornery mice with his sword and leads Clara through a wintry dreamworld of dancing Christmas treats.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ornery
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
The toy comes to life, fends off some ornery mice with his sword and leads Clara through a wintry dreamworld of dancing Christmas treats.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ornery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ornery
Adjective
-
It is believed to reduce pain and inflammation, and has been used for treatment of back pain, high blood pressure, arthritis, migraines, and irritable bowel disease.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
4 Apr. 2025
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And even in what was a stilted match played in an increasingly irritable atmosphere, Rogers and Tielemans delivered with an assist each.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
If an extended trade war with China leads to higher prices and shortages of key goods for Americans, an angry public could throw out some Republicans, handing control of the House and even possibly the Senate to Democrats.—
Ann Scott Tyson,
Christian Science Monitor,
9 May 2025
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That's the tipping point, and Austin breaks up the bromance, leaving Craig lost and angry and eager to prove himself as a cool dude worth hanging out with.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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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
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Only this time, the cheerleader and the zombie are camp counselors for a group of surly vampires.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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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 22 May. 2025.
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