ornery

IPA/ˈɔːnəri/
KK[ˈɔrnɚi]IPA/ˈɔːrnəri/

ornery — adjective

  • ornerypositive
  • more ornerycomparative
  • most ornerysuperlative

1. becoming argumentative or irritable with little cause; being in a mood that make

1.形容詞B1
釋義

becoming argumentative or irritable with little cause; being in a mood that makes someone difficult to please or deal with — for example, an ornery neighbour who complains about every small noise.

例句

Aoi's ornery grandfather refused to let anyone change the TV channel all evening.

ornery + noun (grandfather): describes a person

Joaquín bought an ornery old mule that kicked the fence every time he walked past the barn.

collocation: ornery old [animal]

同義詞
  • grumpy

    more general; can describe a temporary mood, while ornery often suggests a habitual or stubborn quality

  • cranky

    similar register but more common for short-term irritation; ornery feels more fixed and deliberate

  • cantankerous

    more formal and literary; ornery is informal and used in everyday speech

  • irritable

    describes a tendency to get annoyed easily, but less specific about argumentativeness than ornery

反義詞
  • good-natured

    describes someone who is pleasant and easy to get along with

  • agreeable

    describes someone who willingly goes along with others' wishes

文法句型

ornery + noun

be + ornery

get + ornery

用法筆記

Common in informal American English, especially in the southern and western US. Frequently used with old (an ornery old horse, an ornery old man) though the person or thing need not be elderly.

常見錯誤

❌He was ornery to accept the apology.
✅He was too ornery to accept the apology.
💡ornery is an adjective describing a person's mood, not a verb; use 'too ornery to' or 'ornery enough to'.
❌She felt ornery about losing the game.
✅She was ornery after losing the game.
💡ornery describes a sustained mood, not a fleeting feeling; 'was ornery' works better than 'felt ornery'.