thorny
thorny
Definition
thorny (t̸hôr′nē)
adjective thorn′i·er, thorn′i·est
- full of thorns; brambly; prickly
- having thorns or spines: said of some animals
- like a thorn; sharp
- full of obstacles, vexations, pain, etc. the thorny road to peace
- full of controversial points; difficult; contentious a thorny problem
thorn′i·ness noun
thorny
Synonyms
thorny
modif.
thorny
Usage Examples
Modifies a noun
- thicket: Member likened the job to which I have just been appointed to a " thorny thicket " .
- bush: He was thrown off his feet into some thorny berry bushes.
- scrub: Making progress through the thorny acacia scrub wasn't easy.
- shrub: Plant thorny shrubs to deter unwanted visitors from climbing over your fences.
- hedge: A thorny hedge along the boundary of your property can put thieves off.
Modifying Another Word
- particularly: The particularly thorny question of ` whose side are you on?
- very: There is a lot out there relating to what is proving to be a very thorny subject.
- often: Usually they have 5 petals, bloom once a season, and are often thorny shrubs or climbers.
- extremely: Task in itself factors associated with an extremely thorny.
- even: All of this is about to become even thornier under proposals in a proposed employment bill.
- rather: After we started to plan the wedding we came across what I thought was the rather thorny issue of the wedding cake.
thorny Quotes
Alas! they had been friends in youth; But whispering tongues can poison truth; And constancy lives in realms above; And life is thorny; and youth is vain; And to be wroth with one we love Doth work like madness on the brain. 226
Browse dictionary entries near thorny
- Thornton
- Thorndike
- thornback
- thorn apple
- thorn
- thorium
- thorite
- thorianite
- thoria
- Thoreau
- thoro
- thoron
- thorough
- thorough bass
- thorough brace
- thoroughbred
- thoroughfare
- thoroughgoing
- thoroughly
- thoroughpaced
