onry
Ornery — stubborn, contrary, or hard to deal with.
Also called ornery, onery, awnry.
Updated September 24, 2026
onry pronunciation
/AWN-ree/
Meaning
The Southern-sounding short form of ornery. Describes a person, mule, or old truck that won't cooperate. Can be half-affectionate — "that onry cuss" — or straight complaint when something's being mean for no good reason. Same attitude as contrary, just said with fewer syllables.
How folks use it
- “That mule gets onry every time you try to hitch him up.”
- “Don't mind Grandpa — he's just being onry this morning.”
Origin and etymology
Eye-dialect spelling of ornery, itself a worn-down form of ordinary. The sense slid from "commonplace" to "inferior" to "cantankerous." Rural Southern and Appalachian speakers often drop the middle syllable so it comes out onry or awn-ree.
Frequently asked questions
Is onry a different word from ornery?
Same word, different mouth shape. Onry is how a lot of Southern and country folks pronounce ornery.