3
intractable(difficulty, problematic)
3
muricate
3
peaked
3
perverse(adjective, difficulty)
3
pointy(adjective, sharp)
3
pricky(adjective, sharp)
3
problematical(adjective, hard, difficult, delicate, complex)
3
puzzling(adjective, hard, difficult, loose, complex)
3
recondite(adjective, difficult, complex, involved, dense)
3
refractory(adjective, difficulty)
3
risky(bad, delicate, heavy, awkward, tricky)
3
salient
3
scabrous
3
spiculate
3
uncomfortable(adjective, rough, painful, tricky, problematic)
3
unpleasant(adjective, tough, difficult, tricky, problematic)
3
uphill(adjective, difficult)
3
worrying(adjective, difficult, problematic)
2
biting
2
catchy(delicate, awkward, complicated)
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APASmart Define. (2015). thorny thesaurus. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/thorny/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "thorny thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/thorny/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 28, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, thorny thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 28 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/thorny/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "thorny thesaurus" 13 April 2015. Web. 28 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/thorny/thesaurus/synonyms>