ORNERY Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

ornery

adjective

ˈȯr-nə-rē

Definition of ornery

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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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 With two adults, three children, and one ornery cat living in the same house, keeping track of everyone’s stuff can sometimes seem overwhelming. — Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026 But Duvall rose to prominence the next decade, first as the ornery Major Frank Burns in the 1970 antiwar comedy M*A*S*H, reuniting with Robert Altman, who’d previously cast him in 1967’s Countdown. — Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026 This bag is a high-capacity workhorse, with plenty of organization features, tough materials that can handle ornery baggage handlers, and smooth-rolling wheels for pain-free airport navigation. — Outside, 12 Feb. 2026 Sometimes he’d be sent out to deal with the more ornery guests in an effort to calm them. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ornery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ornery

Adjective

Just as Depp made to exit the stage, a haunting voice came over the speaker, eerily repeating the irritable man’s name.

— Angelique Jackson, Variety, 23 July 2026
Perelman said people who have weakened immune systems and those with irritable bowel disease may want to talk to their doctors before incorporating the foods into their diet.

— Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of irritable

Adjective

At first, Jack felt angry to know his Parkinson’s was likely linked to service to his country.

— Nicole Borman, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
The Secret Service’s actual procedures turn out to be more like guidelines that can be discarded if the president is sufficiently angry—which, from the standpoint of safeguarding democracy, constitutes a fairly concerning loophole.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Definition of angry

Adjective

Carroll O'Connor played the cantankerous antihero Archie Bunker, legendary for firing off his grumpy, bigoted views.

— Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 12 July 2026
Principle photography is underway in London, with Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum sharing his memories of contending with Winston’s cantankerous Tyrannosaurus Rex.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 June 2026

Definition of cantankerous

Adjective

Back at the dilapidated family home, Edgar grows even surlier, lashing into gentle-natured Joe for being an under-achiever compared to his brother and causing Thya to become apprehensive about Ed’s proximity to sharp objects.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
Kara Zor-El, the cynical, surly protagonist of the new Supergirl movie, has a very different attitude than her goody two-shoes cousin, Clark Kent.

— James Grebey, Time, 26 June 2026

Definition of surly

Adjective

Look the steady coarsening of American civic and political culture and the ways in which the once-outrageous—the bilious, hateful rhetoric and the creeping authoritarianism—have become almost ordinary.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
Minaj’s bilious flurry is possibly related to claims that she is owed between $100 to 200 million related to her stake in Tidal, the music streaming service launched and spearheaded by Jay-Z in 2015 and was sold to Jack Dorsey’s company Square for $297 million in 2021.

— Andrew Flanagan, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025

Definition of bilious

Adjective

Mistaking being disagreeable with the act of disagreeing is common - especially in unsafe psychological workplaces.

— Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
There are also a lot of people who have never dreamed of being disagreeable in public, much less considered joining a raucous social movement.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026

Definition of disagreeable

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orneriness

ornery

orotund

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“Ornery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ornery. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of ornery

adjective

Example Sentences

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