thorny

Meaning

1. (literally) Having thorns or spines.
2. (figuratively) Troublesome or vexatious.
3. (figuratively) Aloof and irritable.

Synonyms

prickly

spiny

spiky

barbed

briery

bristled

thistly

sharp

spinous

bristly

burred

barbellate

briary

stinging

difficult

vexed

spinose

hard

setaceous

troublesome

setose

spiked

burry

full of thorns

bothersome

bristling

complicated

embarrassing

harsh

intricate

irritating

knotty

plaguey

plaguy

pointy

scabrous

snappy

troubling

uncomfortable

untoward

upsetting

vexatious

yam

spined

awkward

Translations

spinoso

espinoso

dornig

épineux

stachelig

espinhoso

scrupulosa

αγκαθωτός

αγκαθερός

ακανθώδης

شائك

شَائِك

pinchudo

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈθɔːni/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: thorny

Inherited from Old English: þorniġ

In summary

From Middle English thorny, þorny, þorni, from Old English þorniġ, from Proto-West Germanic *þornag. By surface analysis, thorn + -y.