cross-grained
Stubbornly going against
Cross-grained describes wood whose fibers run diagonally or irregularly rather than parallel to the length, making it difficult to work with tools: The cross-grained timber split unpredictably.
The term extends to people who are contrary, perverse, or difficult to deal with: He's too cross-grained to take advice from anyone.
Stubbornly unreasonable
- stubbornRefusing to change course
- obstinateFirmly refusing to yield
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
- difficultRequiring much effort
uncooperative · headstrong · willful · intransigent · obdurate · recalcitrant · mulish · ornery
Easily provoked to annoyance
- crankyIll-tempered and peevish
- peevishHabitually fretful
- testyShort-tempered, easily provoked
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
crotchety · grouchy · surly · ill-tempered · bad-tempered · curmudgeonly · disagreeable · fractious
perverse
Stubbornly unreasonable
- stubbornRefusing to change course
- obstinateFirmly refusing to yield
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
difficult · uncooperative · headstrong · willful · intransigent · obdurate · recalcitrant · mulish · ornery · cussed
irritable
Easily provoked to annoyance
cantankerous · crotchety · grouchy · surly · ill-tempered · bad-tempered · curmudgeonly · disagreeable · fractious · prickly
rough
Uneven in surface
ridged · rippled · gnarled · fibrous · splintery · abrasive · sawtooth · corrugated · irregular · knotty
knots
Secured loops in rope
- fibersThreadlike structural strands
- interlockedJoined by overlapping parts
- wavyHaving gentle curves
burl · whorls · splintery · planing · sanding · sawing · splitting · warped · hardwood · lumber