having a difficult and contrary disposition; "a cantankerous and venomous-tongued old lady"- Dorothy Sayers
disapproval If you describe someone as ornery, you mean that they are bad-tempered, difficult, and often do things that are mean. The old lady was still being ornery, but at least she had consented to this visit. = mean. behaving in an unreasonable and often angry way, especially by doing the opposite of what people want you to do (ordinary)