thorny

adjective

ˈthȯr-nē How to pronounce thorny (audio)
Definition of thornynext
1
as in jagged
having leaves or branches which are likely to cause a scratch stay out of the thorny brambles unless you want a ton of scratches

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling the candidate tried to avoid discussing his views on the thorny issue

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 thorny Data centers and their demands on power, land and water have become thorny political issues and are largely unpopular with the public. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026 How much bigger is a thornier question that remains open today, but Erdős was the first person to make significant progress on it. — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2026 With these headwinds in sight, the success of Myspace hinges on some key factors, including attracting advertisers, sustaining user interest, and dodging a thorny regulatory environment. — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 9 Aug. 2026 And Lane, who delights in thorny ethical questions, doesn’t skimp on the implications of his freedom. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for thorny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thorny
  1. jagged
  2. difficult
  3. prickly
  4. tough
  5. scratchy
  6. sensitive
  7. problematic
  8. complicated
Adjective
  • The man’s skull had broken in 61 separate places, and another 60 jagged bits of bone were distributed across his ribs.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Arctic dreams Russian President Vladimir Putin has long envisioned the 3,500-mile route along Russia’s jagged Arctic coastline becoming a major artery for trade – and a driver of investment in Russian ports and oil and gas fields.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of jagged
Adjective
  • The shortcomings of Usman and Dvalishvili, future Hall of Famers, only point to how difficult the historic mark was to reach.
    — Mark Puleo, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The Teamsters have been enthusiastically endorsing the bill specifically because, while 40-something employers would be difficult to collectively bargain against, DSP workers would be much easier to organize once within Amazon.
    — Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • The Social Democrats, led by Kurt Schumacher, a prickly figure who had suffered horribly for resisting the Nazis, were mistrustful of the United States and hoped to reunify Germany as a neutral state at the center of Europe.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Faith King and Josiah Fagerstrom both deliver delightfully prickly repartee as their characters gradually manage to surpass archetype.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of prickly
Adjective
  • Coventry, for example, face Manchester City away in Gameweek Three, while some of the teams worth targeting early like Manchester United, Chelsea and Sunderland have tougher fixtures in Gameweeks Three or Four.
    — Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • This summer has seen a confluence of challenges, including excessive heat that allows food contamination to grow and a pathogen that’s particularly tough to pin down.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • Reaching for gritty scrubs or scratchy tools at night can make the problem worse.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Since the fire, residents have reported experiencing scratchy throats, headaches and nausea because of the ongoing smell.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of scratchy
Adjective
  • To avoid this sensitive date, pre-orders are now predicted to start on Saturday, September 12th.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Capricorn December 22 – January 19 A sensitive conversation can support your reputation when handled well.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • So far, none of those efforts has been successful, and opponents say hunting would do little to address the most problematic bears that tend to live closer to residential neighborhoods.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Differences in ages between adults aren’t inherently problematic, but one’s experiences in life can change dramatically between 18 and 23.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of problematic
Adjective
  • There’s a recent example of how complicated that can be in practice.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Finding the balance between preserving clubhouse culture and throwing future pieces into the fire remains complicated, even as the team dropped to 60-65 following Saturday’s 5-4 walk-off loss to the New York Mets.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of complicated

Browse Nearby Words

thorns
thorny
thorough
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorny. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on thorny

Nglish: Translation of thorny for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All