[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/thorny/)

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# thorny

adjective (thorny, thornier, thorniest)

«thorny» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Having thorns — sharp, pointed parts on a stem or branch. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/thorny/#m1)
2. Difficult, complicated and likely to cause arguments: «a thorny problem». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/thorny/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science and nature, thorny plants like roses, brambles and cacti use thorns to protect themselves from animals. In everyday and formal talk, «a thorny issue» is a hard question people argue about. Phrases: «thorny bush», «thorny issue», «thorny problem», «thorny question».

### Examples

- Be careful — the rose bush is thorny. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/thorny/#x1)
- The thorny hedge kept the sheep in. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/thorny/#x2)
- Blackberries grow on thorny brambles. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/thorny/#x3)
- Deciding where to go on holiday was a thorny question. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/thorny/#x4)
- (formal) The council discussed the thorny issue of parking. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/thorny/#x5)
- The prince cut his way through the thorny forest. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/thorny/#x6)
- Cacti have thorny spines to protect them. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/thorny/#x7)
- The thorny creeping plants tore her sandals, but for all that she came rapidly forward. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/thorny/#x8)

### Note

Comparative «thornier», superlative «thorniest». Adjective of «thorn». Strictly, cactus «spines» are not thorns, but in everyday speech people call them thorny. Gloves protect hands from thorny plants.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «thorny» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/thorny/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«thorny» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/thorny.html) on Mova free.