thorny

Thorny is an English adjective describing something that bears thorns or is covered in sharp projections, such as a thorny shrub. It is also used figuratively to describe subjects or problems that pose difficulties or complications.

In botany, a thorn is a modified stem bearing vascular tissue, while spines are modified leaves or leaf structures and prickles are outgrowths from the epidermis. Plants described as thorny usually have true thorns or thorn-like projections, as in many species of rose or hawthorn; other plants have spines (cacti) or prickles.

Thorny is formed by adding the adjectival suffix -y to thorn, the Old English þorn, related to Proto-Germanic *þurnô and cognate with Dutch doorn and German Dorn. The metaphorical use to denote difficulty is attested in English from the Middle Ages.

Common collocations include thorny issue, thorny problem, and thorny path, indicating complexity or resistance. The term is widely used in literature, journalism, and everyday speech to convey both physical and abstract difficulty.