thorny

/ˈθɔːni/ (bre, ipa) · [θˈɔrni] /ˈθɔːrni/ (ame, ipa) · [θˈɔrni] /ˈthȯr-nē How to pronounce thorny (audio)/ (ame, mw)

thorny — 形容詞

  • thornypositive
  • thorniercomparative
  • thorniestsuperlative

1. describes a question, issue, or situation that is hard to settle because it invo

1.形容詞B2
釋義

棘手的

問題或情況難以解決、充滿爭議

describes a question, issue, or situation that is hard to settle because it involves many complicated or disputed points

例句

The city council faced the thorny question of where to build the new shelter.

市議會面臨棘手的問題：新的庇護所該建在哪裡。

collocation: thorny question

Mei spent weeks working through a thorny legal case about land ownership.

Mei 花了數週時間處理一起關於土地所有權的棘手法律案件。

collocation: thorny legal case

同義詞
  • difficult

    broader term, does not imply tangled complexity

  • tricky

    more informal; suggests a problem needing cleverness or care

  • knotty

    very close in meaning but emphasises logical complexity more than social sensitivity

  • problematic

    focuses on the presence of obstacles, not the difficulty of solving them

反義詞

用法筆記

Almost always modifies abstract nouns such as problem, issue, question, or dispute — never used for physical tasks or concrete objects.

常見錯誤

❌Moving the heavy sofa was a thorny task.
✅Moving the heavy sofa was a difficult task.
💡'thorny' describes abstract problems with many complications, not physically hard work.

2. covered with sharp, pointed growths on the stems or branches (said of plants lik

2.形容詞B2
釋義

帶刺的

植物莖或枝條上長有尖刺

covered with sharp, pointed growths on the stems or branches (said of plants like roses or cacti)

例句

Devika pricked her finger on a thorny rose bush while gardening yesterday.

Devika 在園藝時被帶刺的玫瑰花叢刺傷了手指。

collocation: thorny rose bush

The thorny branches of the acacia tree made it hard to walk through.

帶刺的金合歡樹枝讓人難以穿行。

同義詞
  • prickly

    emphasises the sensation when touched

  • spiny

    more scientific; also used in zoology

  • barbed

    describes sharp parts that point backwards, like on a fishhook

反義詞
  • smooth

    free of projections or sharp points

用法筆記

Distinguish from the figurative sense (adjective/1): this literal meaning describes only plants with sharp points.

常見錯誤

❌The thorny cat scratched me.
✅The cat scratched me with its sharp claws.
💡'thorny' only describes plants; animals have claws, spines, or quills.