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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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 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 With its abundance of concrete, startling interior views, and play of deep shadows, the design invokes the ornery inventiveness of Kahn and Paul Rudolph, combined with the corporate sleekness of MoMA’s most recent iterations by Yoshio Taniguchi and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 3 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ornery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ornery

Adjective

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
The symptoms are so delayed that people often blame them on food poisoning, irritable-bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance.

— Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Definition of irritable

Adjective

Around the world, angry locals displaced from their neighborhoods by the high cost of living are revolting against the $135 billion short-term rental industry.

— Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
In person, the range-topping Spider looks hilariously boxy up front, deliciously wedgy from the side, and surprisingly angry from the back.

— Jerry Perez, The Drive, 15 July 2026

Definition of angry

Adjective

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
The pièce de résistance is Belle’s willingness to engage with a cantankerous lion-man who has an outrageous temper, thanks to the chip on his very large shoulder.

— Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 25 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

Sun shrinking and getting hotter; everything bilious, oxygenless, not great for living.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
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

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
The disagreeable object proved no match for the most fertile person in Montana.

— Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

Definition of disagreeable

Browse Nearby Words

orneriness

ornery

orotund

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“Ornery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ornery. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of ornery

adjective

Example Sentences

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