Ornery — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈȯr-nə-rē/ or·nery

Meaning & Definition of Ornery

Ornery (adjective)

  1. having an irritable disposition, cantankerous
  2. difficult to deal with or control
  3. having or showing a playful tendency to cause trouble, mischievous

Ornery (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing a habitually bad temper

    "an ornery old man who always yells at the neighborhood kids to keep off his lawn"

    similar: acid, bearish, bilious, bloody-minded (chiefly British), cantankerous, disagreeable, dyspeptic, ill-humored, ill-natured, ill-tempered, splenetic, surly
    related: choleric, crabby, cranky, crotchety, fussy, grouchy, grumpy, querulous, irascible, irritable, peevish, peppery, petulant, quick-tempered, short-tempered, snappish, snippy, testy, touchy, argumentative, contentious, contrary, cussed, angry, exasperated, indignant, irate, mad, upset, uptight, depressed, dour, glum, morose, sullen, anal, old-maidish, schoolmarmish
    opposite: amiable, good-humored, good-natured, good-tempered
    near: agreeable, amicable, congenial, friendly, pleasant, benign, gentle, kind, nice, sweet, bubbly, cheerful, cheery, effervescent, exuberant, high-spirited, joyful, lighthearted, lively, vivacious, content, glad, happy, calm, placid, serene, long-suffering, patient, tolerant

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Ornery

The most common words with a similar meaning to Ornery:

Chiefly British: bloody-minded
acid, bearish, bilious, cantankerous, disagreeable, dyspeptic, ill-humored, ill-natured, ill-tempered, splenetic, surly

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Ornery

Words with the opposite meaning of Ornery:

amiable, good-humored, good-natured, good-tempered

Related Words for Ornery

choleric, crabby, cranky, crotchety, fussy, grouchy, grumpy, querulous, irascible, irritable, peevish, peppery, petulant, quick-tempered, short-tempered, snappish, snippy, testy, touchy, argumentative, contentious, contrary, cussed, angry, exasperated, indignant, irate, mad, upset, uptight

Near Antonyms of Ornery

agreeable, amicable, congenial, friendly, pleasant, benign, gentle, kind, nice, sweet, bubbly, cheerful, cheery, effervescent, exuberant, high-spirited, joyful, lighthearted, lively, vivacious, content, glad, happy, calm, placid, serene, long-suffering, patient, tolerant

Word Forms of Ornery

Inflections: ornerier, orneriest

Derived words: orneriness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Ornery

alteration of ordinary

First known use: 1849

Frequently Asked Questions about Ornery

What does "Ornery" mean?

"Ornery" means having an irritable disposition, cantankerous. As an adjective, it is defined as: having an irritable disposition, cantankerous.

What is another word for "Ornery"?

Other words for "Ornery" include acid, bearish, bilious, bloody-minded, cantankerous, disagreeable, dyspeptic and ill-humored. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Ornery" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Ornery"?

There are 50 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Ornery". Common alternatives include acid, bearish, bilious, bloody-minded, cantankerous, disagreeable, dyspeptic, ill-humored, ill-natured and ill-tempered.

What is the opposite of "Ornery"?

Antonyms of "Ornery" include amiable, good-humored, good-natured and good-tempered. Near antonyms include agreeable, amicable, congenial and friendly.

How do you use "Ornery" in a sentence?

Examples of "Ornery" in a sentence: "an ornery old man who always yells at the neighborhood kids to keep off his lawn".

Is "Ornery" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Ornery" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Ornery"?

"Ornery" is pronounced /ˈȯr-nə-rē/ and divided into syllables as or·nery.

What is the origin of the word "Ornery"?

"Ornery" comes from alteration of ordinary. First known use: 1849.