(originally, Southern US, now, general, _, US, humorous, informal) Troublesome to deal with in a good way; mischievous, prankish, teasing.
(originally, Southern US, now, general, _, US, humorous, informal) Troublesome to deal with in a good way; mischievous, prankish, teasing.
I ain't sayin' I don't share your sentiments, Buck, but you're a born fool. First place Luke would kill the Kid in a gun-fight. Second place if Luke did get shot he's got two brothers just as ornery as he is, and if Ike Plummer didn't ki…
Ornery means: Troublesome to deal with in a good way; mischievous, prankish, teasing.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
ornery means: Troublesome to deal with in a good way; mischievous, prankish, teasing.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
Ornery means: Troublesome to deal with in a good way; mischievous, prankish, teasing.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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(obsolete) Ordinary, commonplace; hence, inferior, plain-looking, unpleasant.
[“S]he was a girl and girls are less ornery than boys. Though I guess Mim was ornery in her way. Once she got to be sixteen, she put my parents through hell.” / “Grandpa, what’s ‘ornery’?” / “Oh, you know. Mean. Contrary. Rebellious.” / …
“For me it's my muscles. They refuse to relax. It's a side effect from the chemo I had, but that was a long time ago, and they're still being ornery. So annoying!”
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(originally, and, chiefly, US, especially, Appalachia, informal) Disagreeable, stubborn, and troublesome to deal with; cantankerous.
Seemingly here was an intruder who was violating custom. Moreover, the partners had come to look upon this exceedingly rich district as their exclusive property. And so their indignation was extreme. "The low-down, ornery cuss!" said Dob…
Ornery means: Disagreeable, stubborn, and troublesome to deal with; cantankerous.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
ornery means: Disagreeable, stubborn, and troublesome to deal with; cantankerous.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
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