Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions
Trivia Time
Ornery developed as a variant of which word?

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.

See Examples For:

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

Even the ornery and Scrooge-like Walter can’t help but become emotional at reading that.

From Salon ● Nov. 23, 2023

It falls to Asha, her quirky friends, an ornery talking goat sidekick and a cute fallen star to rebel against Magnifico to get the wishes back.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2023

An ornery, board-jacking sea otter is terrorizing surfers off the coast of Santa Cruz.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2023

Ophie tried to imagine another woman just as mean and ornery as her and couldn’t.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

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

It's typical of the venom-tipped but still lyrical reflections stashed throughout the 15 tunes on this high-velocity workout by one of the orneriest but most beguiling rockers in the neighborhood.

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


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training