ornery
Example Sentences
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Sadly, the circumstances of our birth also sentenced us to put up with picayune, ornery, solipsistic types like him.
From Salon β Jun. 26, 2026
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 β Dec. 14, 2025
In a talk-back at the end of the show, Ullett admitted that he quite liked Berkoff, ornery though he was, and that he respected Friedkin’s stature as one of the great film directors.
From Los Angeles Times β Mar. 4, 2024
Quesada said she’d surprise him at times with funny little stories “about her more ornery days.”
From Seattle Times β Feb. 28, 2024
“Does feed de ornery varmint! Don’t keer whut Ah do Ah can’t git long wid ’im.
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
Brustein’s universalism grew ornerier and more claustrophobic with age.
From Los Angeles Times β Nov. 8, 2023
He was mebby thinking how much ornerier that would make the hull scheme.
From Danny's Own Story by Don Marquis
Pitching in the brilliant sunshine July sunshine with temperatures in the low 80s, the orneriest of the Mariners starters delivered an outstanding performance in a season filled with them.
From Seattle Times β Jul. 20, 2023
In a family with six children, Bob wasn’t the oldest Stoops child - that title belongs to brother Ron Jr. - but Kathy says Bob was the edgiest, the feistiest, the orneriest.
From Washington Times β Sep. 4, 2017
“Colleen was the orneriest one in the pool, but boy, could she swim!”
From Washington Times β Jan. 7, 2017
And ... if he wishes to further extend his inventive genius to elephant snares, our special elephant trap welders make welds unconditionally guaranteed to discourage the attempt of the orneriest pachyderm to "walk away mil."
From Time Magazine Archive
I wasn’t ’bout to sneak no looks at Miss Daponte; ’twas well knowed that ’long with being the strongest woman in Possum Moan, she was also the orneriest one.
From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Vocabulary lists containing ornery
Negative Words to Describe a Person
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Walk Two Moons
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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