ornery
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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Josh Charles stars as a talented but ornery surgeon who leaves his career in Boston to become a doctor in a small town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025
Even the ornery and Scrooge-like Walter can’t help but become emotional at reading that.
From Salon ● Nov. 23, 2023
It falls to Asha, her quirky friends, an ornery talking goat sidekick and a cute fallen star to rebel against Magnifico to get the wishes back.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2023
She earned her name by her ornery behavior with staff and other bison, said Racheal Komulainen, the park’s animal keeper.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2023
“Yes, Billy. She had a tough go of it, but she’s a strong woman. She must be to keep an ornery boy like you in line.”
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
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Brustein’s universalism grew ornerier and more claustrophobic with age.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2023
He was mebby thinking how much ornerier that would make the hull scheme.
From Danny's Own Story by Don Marquis
Pitching in the brilliant sunshine July sunshine with temperatures in the low 80s, the orneriest of the Mariners starters delivered an outstanding performance in a season filled with them.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 20, 2023
In a family with six children, Bob wasn’t the oldest Stoops child - that title belongs to brother Ron Jr. - but Kathy says Bob was the edgiest, the feistiest, the orneriest.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 4, 2017
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“Colleen was the orneriest one in the pool, but boy, could she swim!”
From Washington Times ● Jan. 7, 2017
It's typical of the venom-tipped but still lyrical reflections stashed throughout the 15 tunes on this high-velocity workout by one of the orneriest but most beguiling rockers in the neighborhood.
From Time Magazine Archive
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But even at their orneriest, consonants were fun.
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
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Vocabulary lists containing ornery
Negative Words to Describe a Person
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Walk Two Moons
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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