thorny

adjective

ˈthȯr-nē How to pronounce thorny (audio)
thornier; thorniest
Synonyms of thornynext
1
: full of thorns
2
: full of difficulties or controversial points : ticklish
a thorny problem
thorniness noun

Synonyms of thorny

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of thorny in a Sentence

stay out of the thorny brambles unless you want a ton of scratches
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But their 20-3 loss to the Seahawks (4-3) was so thorough, unsightly and disillusioning as to render the 5-0 run-up to it entirely suspect — especially considering the Chiefs’ thorny schedule ahead. — Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026 While draft version histories are not sacred texts, being asked to share them in exchange for exoneration does introduce some thorny social questions about how much writers need to show an audience — or accuser — in order to be trusted. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026 Trump has since tried to find an off-ramp to the war in Iran, but Israel’s actions made such peace deal talks thorny. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 19 Oct. 2026 And although the lack of communication between the family and the foundation has sowed its fair share of discord, the situation is a bit thornier than that. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thorny

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thorny was before the 12th century

Rhymes for thorny

See All Rhymes for thorny

Browse Nearby Words

thorn tree
thorny
thorny acacia
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorny. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

thorny

adjective
ˈthȯr-nē How to pronounce thorny (audio)
thornier; thorniest
1
: full of or covered with thorns
thorny rose bushes
2
: full of difficulties
a thorny problem
thorniness noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All