thorny

adjective

ˈthȯr-nē How to pronounce thorny (audio)
thornier; thorniest
Synonyms of thornynext
1
: full of thorns
2
: full of difficulties or controversial points : ticklish
a thorny problem
thorniness noun

Synonyms of thorny

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Examples of thorny in a Sentence

stay out of the thorny brambles unless you want a ton of scratches
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even the most adept communicators can struggle with the monumental task of messaging such a thorny, systemic and ever-changing issue. — Jamil Wyne, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 In addition to training operators, the Pentagon will need to embed knowledgeable engineers, data scientists, and legal advisers to help senior military leaders navigate thorny issues relating to human-AI interaction on the battlefield. — Emelia S. Probasco, Foreign Affairs, 20 Aug. 2026 Connecting people with clinical trials is complicated — even if people identify a promising match, there’s a slew of potentially thorny factors, including geographic incompatibility, and financial and time considerations. — Michelle Andrews, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026 Solutions to the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) problem have to date relied on new networking protocols built from scratch—only to discover chicken-and-egg problems, thorny standards wars, and real signal congestion challenges at scale. — IEEE Spectrum, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thorny

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thorny was before the 12th century

Rhymes for thorny

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Browse Nearby Words

thorn tree
thorny
thorny acacia
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Cite this Entry

“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorny. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

thorny

adjective
ˈthȯr-nē How to pronounce thorny (audio)
thornier; thorniest
1
: full of or covered with thorns
thorny rose bushes
2
: full of difficulties
a thorny problem
thorniness noun
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