Standard Lemma guide

thorny

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈθɔːni/
  • US: /ˈθɔɹni/
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)ni
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: TH AO1 R N IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having thorns or spines.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: literally

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prickly, spiny

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Troublesome or vexatious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • thorny issues

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Aloof and irritable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a horse with a short bristly mane
  • bristly shrubs
  • burred fruits
  • setaceous whiskers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: barbed, barbellate, briary, briery, bristled, bristly, burred, burry, prickly, setose, setaceous, spiny

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

bristling with perplexities

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the thorny question of states' rights

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English thorny, þorny, þorni, from Old English þorniġ, from Proto-West Germanic *þornag. By surface analysis, thorn + -y.

Across languages

Translations

76 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: شَائِك (šāʔik) — having thorns
  • Armenian: փշոտ (pʻšot) — having thorns
  • Assamese: কাঁইটীয়া (kãitia) — having thorns
  • Central Bikol: matunok — having thorns
  • Bulgarian: бодлив (bodliv) — having thorns
  • Bulgarian: трънлив (trǎnliv) — having thorns
  • Cherokee: ᏧᏣᏲᏍᏗ (tsutsayosdi) — having thorns
  • Czech: trnitý — having thorns
  • Czech: pichlavý — having thorns
  • Czech: ostnatý — having thorns
  • Esperanto: dorna — having thorns
  • Finnish: piikikäs — having thorns
  • Finnish: okainen — having thorns
  • French: épineux — having thorns
  • German: dornig — having thorns
  • Greek: αγκαθερός (agkatherós) — having thorns
  • Ancient Greek: ἀκάνθινος (akánthinos) — having thorns
  • Ancient Greek: ἀκανθώδης (akanthṓdēs) — having thorns
  • Hebrew: קֹוצָנִי (kotzaní) — having thorns
  • Hindi: कटीला (kaṭīlā) — having thorns
  • Icelandic: þyrnóttur — having thorns
  • Irish: deilgneach — having thorns
  • Irish: spíonach — having thorns
  • Italian: spinoso — having thorns
  • Latin: spīnifer — having thorns
  • Latin: spīnōsus — having thorns
  • Latvian: ērkšķains — having thorns
  • Macedonian: трнлив (trnliv) — having thorns
  • Macedonian: боцкав (bockav) — having thorns
  • Māori: pūtaratara — having thorns
  • Māori: kōtaratara — having thorns
  • Old English: þorniġ — having thorns
  • Polish: ciernisty — having thorns
  • Polish: kolczasty — having thorns
  • Portuguese: espinhento — having thorns
  • Portuguese: espinhoso — having thorns
  • Russian: колю́чий (koljúčij) — having thorns
  • Russian: терни́стый (ternístyj) — having thorns
  • Scottish Gaelic: droighneach — having thorns
  • Scottish Gaelic: deilgneach — having thorns
  • Spanish: espinoso — having thorns
  • Spanish: espinudo — having thorns
  • Sranan Tongo: makamaka — having thorns
  • Tagalog: matinik — having thorns
  • Turkish: dikenli — having thorns
  • Welsh: dreiniog — having thorns
  • Welsh: pigog — having thorns
  • Arabic: شَائِك (šāʔik) — troublesome
  • Bulgarian: тежък (težǎk) — troublesome
  • Bulgarian: труден (truden) — troublesome
  • Chinese Mandarin: 棘手 (jíshǒu) — troublesome
  • Chinese Mandarin: 難纏 /难缠 (nánchán) — troublesome
  • Chinese Mandarin: 麻煩 /麻烦 (máfan) — troublesome
  • Czech: ožehavý — troublesome
  • Czech: palčivý — troublesome
  • Esperanto: dorna — troublesome
  • Finnish: okainen — troublesome
  • French: épineux — troublesome
  • German: dornig — troublesome
  • German: schwierig — troublesome
  • German: problematisch — troublesome
  • Italian: spinoso — troublesome
  • Macedonian: трнлив (trnliv) — troublesome
  • Macedonian: мачен (mačen) — troublesome
  • Māori: whakahōhā — troublesome
  • Māori: kūrakuraku — troublesome
  • Māori: pōrahurahu — troublesome
  • Māori: whakatōwenewene — troublesome
  • Polish: najeżony — troublesome
  • Portuguese: espinhoso — troublesome
  • Russian: терни́стый (ternístyj) — troublesome
  • Russian: тру́дный (trúdnyj) — troublesome
  • Spanish: espinoso — troublesome
  • Spanish: espinudo — troublesome
  • Spanish: peliagudo — troublesome
  • Turkish: dikenli — troublesome