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ornery

[awr-nuh-ree] / ˈɔr nə ri /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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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 Dec. 14, 2025

Quesada said she’d surprise him at times with funny little stories “about her more ornery days.”

From Seattle Times Feb. 28, 2024

She earned her name by her ornery behavior with staff and other bison, said Racheal Komulainen, the park’s animal keeper.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 15, 2023

With his wild, Einsteinian coif, Romantic poet adoration and cryptic, sometimes ornery nature, Dylan is often held up as an emblematic example of the modern male genius.

From New York Times Jul. 7, 2023

They were not taking us seriously, and I felt my ornery donkey self waking up.

From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech

Brustein’s universalism grew ornerier and more claustrophobic with age.

From Los Angeles Times 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 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 Sep. 4, 2017

“Colleen was the orneriest one in the pool, but boy, could she swim!”

From Washington Times Jan. 7, 2017

Stradlin departed the world's orneriest rock band in 1991, and shows up now with a loose-jointed, slaphappy and rather neat & debut.

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


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