THORNY Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

thorny

adjective

ˈthȯr-nē

Definition of thorny

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

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 Hinds had to act opposite during some of Cathy’s thornier moments. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026 As Charles and Cathy, the duo is gifted the show’s thorniest relationship. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2026 One thorny issue has been how to deal with threatened wastewater infrastructure on San Francisco’s coast, along Ocean Beach. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026 When Bender considers moving to a rival network, Wever fleshes out the tough carapace of a woman who, even under the thorniest of circumstances, never stops calculating her next move. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thorny

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thorny

Adjective

The spelunking bass lines recalled Joy Division and New Order, the jagged guitars evoked the Fall.

— Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
Past albums have varied between melodic indie rock, jagged art rock, and even flirtations with hardcore.

— Brendan Hay, SPIN, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of jagged

Adjective

The problem, Snegovaya said, is that achieving military autonomy for Europe and Ukraine is extremely difficult in the short term, and Europe has been slow to develop the necessary capabilities.

— Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
Past changes have pushed the glacier into a retreat that may be difficult to reverse, while new modeling suggests scientists may have underestimated how warm seawater reaches beneath it.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

Mexico’s stability was more important than challenging its stunted democracy, prickly nationalism, and closed economy.

— Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026
Mungiu’s prickly, nonjudgmental studies of human behavior have sometimes led him to be branded as a provocateur.

— Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of prickly

Adjective

Celebrity hairstylist Brian Magallones considers this the perfect balance between a not-too-fussy and not-too-structured chignon, a style that sounds tough to style without a professional team but is actually quite easy to master at-home.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Coming off that dominant performance against the Yankees, Rasmussen went six-plus tough innings.

— Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Every fall wardrobe needs a denim jacket, and this design feels smooth and stretchy rather than stiff and scratchy.

— Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2026
The look is crisp, angular, and metallic, with lots of straight lines and slender silhouettes, and sits in pleasing contrast alongside luscious velvet and scratchy linen, rough stone, warm terracotta, or grainy timber.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of scratchy

Adjective

Another network had received the notification by late Saturday, according to a person familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive details.

— Miriam Waldvogel, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Pictet seemed sensitive to the moral risk of going into Syria for the wrong reasons.

— Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of sensitive

Adjective

Winds across the San Joaquin Valley floor could gust 15-20 mph at times Thursday and Friday, with the majority of more problematic winds reserved for the Sierra foothills.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Paul Robeson’s films from the 1930s are sometimes problematic and can pander to colonial ideas about Black people.

— Zac Ntim, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of problematic

Adjective

International funding, Patil says, means long waits, complicated contracts and co-production treaties, and Indian filmmakers end up chasing the same grants as professionals from wealthier countries.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Birmingham Industrious, unassuming Birmingham has overcome an at-times fraught and complicated past to develop food, music, and cultural scenes that show the world why it's called the Magic City.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of complicated

Browse Nearby Words

thorns

thorny

thorough

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Cite this Entry

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“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorny. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of thorny

adjective

Example Sentences

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