Bad-tempered or difficult to deal with. The ornery old man refused to let anyone help him with his groceries.
Her ornery attitude made it hard for her to compromise during the meeting.
Informal, chiefly US: playfully or perversely contrary; inclined to tease or cause minor trouble. The puppy grew more ornery as the afternoon wore on, nipping at everyone’s shoelaces.
Dialectal, chiefly US: of inferior or substandard quality; shabby or crude. He traded his truck for an ornery old lawn mower that barely worked.