adj
ornery
AW-nuh-ree
adj
1
Stubborn, grumpy, and difficult to deal with.
"The old mule was too ornery to be led anywhere."
"Don't mind him — he gets ornery when he's tired."
How to Use Ornery
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishGrumpy, stubborn, and hard to deal with.
When to use it
Informal, mostly American — has a folksy, rural flavor.
Common pairings
ornery old man
get ornery
Word Forms
ornerier comparative, orneriest superlative
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The old mule was too _____ to be led anywhere.
Etymology
A dialect contraction of "ordinary" — the word originally just meant "common" or "plain," but drifted over time in American speech to mean stubborn and cranky.