noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   The property of being thorny (of having thorns or metaphorically being difficult). uncountable, usually
2. 2
   a rough and bitter manner wordnet
3. 3
   the quality of being covered with prickly thorns or spines wordnet
4. 4
   The property of being full of difficulties, complexities, or controversial points. wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

acerbityacridityacrimonyacuitybitternessbitterness

Etymology

From thorny + -ness.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.