ORNERY Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

ornery

adjective

ˈȯr-nə-rē

Definition of ornery

as in irritable

having or showing a habitually bad temper an ornery old man who always yells at the neighborhood kids to keep off his lawn

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of ornery For ornery toddlers, who want to do everything themselves, Rao suggests giving them their own toothbrush to use while parents brush their teeth with a second one right alongside them. — Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Popular Science, 11 Mar. 2026 With two adults, three children, and one ornery cat living in the same house, keeping track of everyone’s stuff can sometimes seem overwhelming. — Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026 But Duvall rose to prominence the next decade, first as the ornery Major Frank Burns in the 1970 antiwar comedy M*A*S*H, reuniting with Robert Altman, who’d previously cast him in 1967’s Countdown. — Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026 This bag is a high-capacity workhorse, with plenty of organization features, tough materials that can handle ornery baggage handlers, and smooth-rolling wheels for pain-free airport navigation. — Outside, 12 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ornery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ornery

Adjective

Coach There’s no better feeling than walking into your last show of the day, irritable and hungry, only to discover that snacks are being served.

— Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
If a relative or housemate seems irritable, ask what’s going on instead of working around the mood.

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of irritable

Adjective

To argue that calling them immigrants is technically wrong is like getting angry at people who don’t pronounce Los Feliz the Spanish way.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Sheriff Rick Ramsay said Monday that the father later told detectives that Lopez was angry that prosecutors didn’t offer him any plea deals, so his son planned to leave the country rather than face conviction.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of angry

Adjective

The normally surly Super Bowl winning head coach has been known to chew up and spit out even the most veteran of sideline reporters, even while his team is eviscerating the competition.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
The United States is now a reluctant international donor and a surly member of key international organizations.

— Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of surly

Adjective

Ready to Wear, the bilious bomb of a film in which Robert Altman took aim at the fashion industry with an elephant gun—and missed.

— Charles Gandee, Vogue, 27 Sep. 2026
Look the steady coarsening of American civic and political culture and the ways in which the once-outrageous—the bilious, hateful rhetoric and the creeping authoritarianism—have become almost ordinary.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026

Definition of bilious

Adjective

Mistaking being disagreeable with the act of disagreeing is common - especially in unsafe psychological workplaces.

— Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
There are also a lot of people who have never dreamed of being disagreeable in public, much less considered joining a raucous social movement.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026

Definition of disagreeable

Browse Nearby Words

orneriness

ornery

orotund

See all Nearby Words

Articles Related to ornery

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ornery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ornery. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ornery

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

What did you just call me?

19 Words for the Cranky and Disagreeable

Is it 'ornery' cuss or 'ordinary' cuss?

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Luddite

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes