Ornery Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms ornery American [awr-nuh-ree] / ˈɔr nə ri /

adjective

Dialect. ornerier, orneriest

1. ugly and unpleasant in disposition or temper.

   No one can get along with my ornery cousin.

   Synonyms: testy, surly, ill-natured, ill-tempered, mean

2. stubborn.

   I can't do a thing with that ornery mule.

3. low or vile.

4. inferior or common; ordinary.

ornery British / ˈɔːnərɪ /

adjective

1. stubborn or vile-tempered

2. low; treacherous

   an ornery trick

3. ordinary

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• orneriness noun

Etymology

Origin of ornery

First recorded in 1790–1800; contraction of ordinary

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I could feel a wallop of rude and ornery coming up my throat and fighting to get out of my mouth.

From Literature

I sat down and tried to pick the ornery stickers out of Sal’s fur and she licked my hand in thanks.

From Literature

Josh Charles stars as a talented but ornery surgeon who leaves his career in Boston to become a doctor in a small town.

From The Wall Street Journal

But O’Neill’s 1921 drama poses ornery challenges for an actress—and not just because Greta Garbo immortalized the role in her first “talkie.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Otter 841, California’s most ornery sea mammal, has returned to waters off Santa Cruz.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cranky
• grouchy
• grumpy
• hard-nosed
• ill-tempered
• nasty
• obstinate
• vicious

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.