thorny
16
6.3
- adjective
- /ˈθɔrni/
:
espinoso
- The protection of religious diversity is another thorny issue that must be negotiated in any successful settlement.
- thorny issue
- thorny question
- thorny problem
Forgiveness is such a thorny topic as it relates to narcissism.
- Forgiveness is such a thorny topic as it relates to narcissism.
- I think the general topic of AI music is obviously thorny and nuanced.
- Now I find that discernment, something I preach, is great in theory, but it can get quite thorny in practice.
- But you'll find convincing answers to legitimate concerns, we'll find solutions to thorny issues, we'll keep our eyes on the prize, and we will succeed.
- And then they could call on the power of the room to solve thorny plot problem.
- This is one reason that I mean, global skepticism is such a a thorny problem.
- So how do you approach a problem that thorny?
- And one of the thorny pieces of this is we do not know how to describe.
Examples
-
Joint ownership raises all sorts of thorny questions.
-
The field may someday come to a consensus on this thorny definitional issue.
Academic text (2000) -
Now, then, perhaps I can divine a solution to this thorny problem.
-
The conflict remains thorny, but major steps toward sustainability have been taken.
Academic text (1990) -
Attendance and class hours became especially thorny issues, given that most teachers lived in urban centers.
Academic text (2001) -
Surrogacy contracts raise similar thorny ethical and public policy questions.
-
Amid the continuing debate lie some thorny issues, particularly with respect to determining who is gifted.
Academic text (1992) -
The United States should not overreact to this thorny issue, but neither should it behave timidly.
Academic text (1990) -
The possible confrontation of a superstate and an international institution leads to the thorny problem and concept of state sovereignty.
Academic text (2007) -
The debate about climate change is full of thorny challenges that scientists are still working to understand.
Synonyms
50
4.2
A time or situation that has many problems
49
3.9
Causing worry or annoyance and hard to deal with
1
8.1
Difficult to solve or understand, often about problems
1
8.0
A difficult question that many people disagree about
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
A plant that grows upright and lives one year with pairs of sharp spines at many leaf joints
How Problematic
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Thorny can also mean 'difficult'. This comes from the same root thorn because a thorn can 'prick' and cause pain, so a thorny problem is full of troubles that can stop progress or make people argue.