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Onery vs Cantankerous - What's the difference?

onery | cantankerous |

As adjectives the difference between onery and cantankerous

is that onery is (us|particularly|southern us) while cantankerous is given to or marked by an ill-tempered nature, ill-tempered, cranky, surly, crabby.

onery

English

Adjective

(er)
  • (US, particularly, Southern US)

    • Usage notes

    The absence of the initial "r" in ornery is said to be chiefly in Southern US pronunciation. Usage of onery might therefore be supposed to correspond to Southern US usage of ornery.

    cantankerous

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • given to or marked by an ill-tempered nature, ill-tempered, cranky, surly, crabby.
  • * 1839 , Fraser's magazine for town and country, Volume 20, p618
    • she is a cantankerous old maid fretting and snarling over the loss of her beauty.
  • * 1866 Every Saturday, Volume 2, p355
    • The great principle on which the privileges of cantankerous folly and ill-nature found is this: that as we go on through life we grow somewhat cowardly; and if a thing be disagreeable, we just keep out of its way: sometimes by rather shabby expedients.
  • * 1947 , John Courtenay Trewin, Plays of the year: Volume 47, 195
    • I am being cantankerous'''. Some days I feel so '''cantankerous I could take a machine-gun into the streets and shoot down the whole population of Hendon Central; I don't know why.
  • * 1998 , Pauline Chazan, The moral self, 80
    • By contrast, cantankerous and churlish people are contemptuously independent of others’ opinions, not caring enough about others and their views.
  • * 2004 , 386 F. 3d 192 - Jacques v. Dimarzio Inc
    • The cantankerous are those "marked by ill humor, irritability, and determination to disagree." Webster's New International Dictionary 328 (3d ed.1986).
  • * 2004 , 386 F. 3d 192 - Jacques v. Dimarzio Inc
    • All things being equal, a cantankerous person or a curmudgeon would be more secure by becoming more unpleasant.
  • * 2007 , Linda Francis Lee, The Devil in the Junior League, p44
    • Nina was thrilled, muttering her cantankerous joy that I was getting out of the house.
  • * from where is this quotation?
    • The cantankerous landlord always grumbled when asked to fix something.
  • * 2010 ,
    • Unfortunately, as Great-Aunt Bert could be a bit cantankerous , they were having to be creative
    Note: Cantankerous is generally used to describe an unpleasant elderly person in a slightly pejorative manner. However, the term can be used to people in general, livestock, and machinery as well.