List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 88

SYNONYMS: contrary, balky, perverse, wayward, ornery.
These adjectives mean given to acting in opposition to others.

Contrary applies especially to a person who is inherently self-willed and resistant to direction or counsel: Who can reason with you when you're being contrary?
Balky describes an animal or a mechanical device that stops short and does not proceed or continue in operation; the word is also applicable to analogous human behavior: The balky horse refused the jump. The balky engine sputtered and stopped. Even threats of indictment didn't loosen the tongue of the balky witness.
Perverse implies disposition or determination to contravene what is expected or desired: He said no just to be perverse.
Wayward stresses a flouting of authority that leads to erratic, capricious, or reprehensible behavior: He is a lively child, who had been spoiled, and therefore was sometimes wayward. One who is ornery is marked by a mean-spirited, often defiant contrariety: When I tried to get the car salesman to lower his prices, he became ornery.
One who is ornery is marked by a mean-spirited, often defiant contrariety: When I tried to get the car salesman to lower his prices, he became ornery.