ornery
/ˈɔːnəri
/adjective North American informal
Bad-tempered or difficult to deal with: an ornery old military man...
- Ryo was carrying a worn-out Chava on his back, and Zaila too looked tired and ornery.
- Most afternoons, it's the two older players who bicker the most, like ornery retirees on a park bench.
- Growling softly at the guard, pretending to be my usual, ornery self and blaming him for the shortness of chain.
Derivatives
orneriness
/ noun ...- Jerry, with rare orneriness, pointed out that Victor had never clearly explained how to navigate.
- The shorter and colder days are causing a setting-in of impending-winter orneriness around the house.
- Our own actions, in contrast, are influenced by familial, social, economic, historical, technological and cultural forces - not to mention sheer orneriness and whim.
Origin
Early 19th century: variant of ordinary, representing a dialect pronunciation.