thorny

英 [ˈθɔːni]

美 [ˈθɔːrni]

adj.  棘手的; 麻烦的; 引起争议的; 有刺的; 多刺的

最高级：thorniest　比较级：thornier　

TOEFLGREIELTS

Collins.1 / BNC.18411 / COCA.13200

牛津词典

adj.

• 棘手的；麻烦的；引起争议的
  causing difficulty or disagreement
  1. a thorny question/issue/problem
     棘手的问题
• 有刺的；多刺的
  having thorns
  1. a thorny bush
     有刺的灌木

柯林斯词典

• ADJ (植物、树木)带刺的，多刺的
  Athornyplant or tree is covered with thorns.
  1. ...thorny hawthorn trees.
     长满刺的山楂树
• ADJ-GRADED (问题)棘手的，复杂难解的，令人头疼的
  If you describe a problem asthorny, you mean that it is very complicated and difficult to solve, and that people are often unwilling to discuss it.
  1. ...the thorny issue of immigration policy...
     移民政策这个棘手问题
  2. It is essential that we tackle this thorny problem.
     我们很有必要处理这个棘手问题。

英英释义

adj

• having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.
  1. a horse with a short bristly mane
  2. bristly shrubs
  3. burred fruits
  4. setaceous whiskers
  Synonym:barbedbarbellatebriarybrierybristledbristlyburredburrypricklysetosesetaceousspiny
• bristling with perplexities
  1. the thorny question of states' rights

双语例句

• The thorny problem of what happens when the boss is absent.
  老板不在时情况会怎样这一棘手问题。
• Another thorny issue involves controlling inflation in the face of emerging market forces.
  另一棘手的问题涉及在市场力量形成的同时控制通货膨胀。
• The so-called puppy love problem is a thorny issue for all teachers.
  老师们大都把早恋看作一个棘手的问题。
• It is essential that we tackle this thorny problem.
  我们很有必要处理这个棘手问题。
• Recruiting from outside the family, however, remain a thorny issue.
  然而，在家族之外进行招聘仍然是个棘手的问题。
• Race relations in the US continue to be a thorny problem. Racism remains a touchy issue.
  美国的种族关系一直是棘手的问题。种族主义可是个要小心处理的问题。
• Its relations with international rulemakers can be thorny: think of the World Trade Organisation.
  美国与国际规则制定者之间的关系常常很棘手：例如和世界贸易组织。
• A thorny question handled by consumer councils is the public relations and advertising strategies of the tobacco industry.
  消费者委员会处理的一个麻烦问题是烟草公司采取的公关和广告策略。
• How exactly these private dancers know which hotel rooms to visit, though, has become a thorny question.
  可是，这些私人舞女究竟是怎样知道该去哪个旅馆房间的现在却成了一个棘手的问题。
• Now we come to the thorny question of cost.
  现在我们来讨论成本这个棘手的问题。