Tricky and Thorny

Tricky

Tricky adjective - Requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling.
Usage example: a tricky musical passage for the woodwind section

Thorny is a synonym for tricky in difficult topic. In some cases you can use "Thorny" instead an adjective "Tricky", when it comes to topics like hard, complicated.

Nearby Words: trick, trickery, tricked, tricking

Thorny

Thorny adjective - Requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling.
Usage example: the candidate tried to avoid discussing his views on the thorny issue of abortion

Tricky is a synonym for thorny in difficult topic. You can use "Tricky" instead an adjective "Thorny", if it concerns topics such as hard, problematic.

Nearby Word: thorn
Cite this Source
Thorny and Tricky. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/tricky/thorny
Tricky & Thorny. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/tricky/thorny>.
Thorny or Tricky. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/tricky/thorny.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "tricky" and "thorny" have occurred on timeline