thorniness
/'θɔ:ninis/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The quality of being covered with prickly thorns or spines: The physical state of a plant or object having sharp, pointed projections.
- A rough and bitter manner: A figurative quality describing a person's difficult, harsh, or irritable character or behavior.
Usage Examples
Noun (Physical Quality):
- The thorniness of the rosebush makes it difficult to prune without gloves.
- Botanists study the thorniness of certain cacti as an adaptation to dry climates.
Noun (Figurative Quality):
- His general thorniness made it hard for the team to collaborate effectively.
- She was known for the thorniness of her critiques, which were often brutally honest.
Advanced Usage
- "The thorniness of the issue": Used to describe a problem or topic that is particularly complex, difficult, or contentious.
- The political debate highlighted the thorniness of the immigration reform issue.
Variants and Related Words
- Thorny (adj): Full of thorns; figuratively, difficult and problematic.
- a thorny branch / a thorny legal question
- Thorn (n): A stiff, sharp-pointed woody projection on a plant; a source of irritation or difficulty.
- I got a thorn in my finger. / He is a thorn in my side.
Synonyms
- Prickliness: The quality of being covered with or full of prickles.
- Irritability: The quality of being easily annoyed or angered.
- Acrimony: Bitterness or ill feeling in manner or speech.
Related Phrases
- A thorny problem: A problem that is complex and difficult to solve.
- Finding a fair solution to the budget deficit is a thorny problem.
- A thorn in one's side: A persistent source of annoyance or trouble.
- The constant paperwork was a thorn in the manager's side.
Noun
- a rough and bitter manner
- the quality of being covered with prickly thorns or spines