Meaning & use
Orneriness
Last updated
The quality of being stubborn, irritable, or difficult to deal with.
See it in a sentence
His grandfather's orneriness was legendary among the whole family.
The mule's orneriness made it nearly impossible to lead down the trail.
A note on using this word
Likely derived from 'ordinary,' the word evolved in American English to describe someone mean-tempered or cantankerous.
Words with a similar meaning
stubbornnesscrankiness
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
amiabilityagreeableness
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