orneriness

Mulish, disagreeable nature

Orneriness is the quality of being stubborn, cantankerous, or difficult to deal with.

The word carries a folksy, often affectionate tone—someone's orneriness might be annoying but also part of their charm: His orneriness kept him arguing long after everyone else had given up.

The trait suggests willful contrariness rather than genuine malice.

stubbornness

obstinacy

Unyielding adherence to position

mulishnessUnyielding resistance to persuasion
pigheadednessStubborn refusal to yield
bullheadednessStubborn persistence despite reason

contrariness · willfulness · perversity · recalcitrance · intransigence · cussedness · obduracy · inflexibility · unyieldingness · wrongheadedness

irritability

grumpiness

Bad-tempered disposition

crankinessIll-tempered disposition
cantankerousnessIll-tempered, quarrelsome nature
testinessEasily provoked irritation

grouchiness · peevishness · surliness · crossness · irascibility · snappiness · petulance · tetchiness · ill-temper · fretfulness

defiance

rebelliousness

Tendency toward defiant resistance

disobedienceRefusal to follow orders
insubordinationDefying workplace authority
noncomplianceFailure to follow requirements

unruliness · waywardness · uncooperativeness · refractoriness · fractious · incorrigibility · troublemaking · mischievousness

orneriness

obstinacy

grumpiness

rebelliousness

orneriness

Opposites

Categories

Family