thorniness

/ˈθɔr.ni.nəs/
noun
  1. The quality of being covered with thorns or sharp points.
    • The gardener complained about the thorniness of the new rose variety.
    • The thorniness of the blackberry bush made it hard to pick the fruit.
    • I chose a different path to avoid the thorniness of the overgrown trail.
  2. The quality of being difficult, complicated, or unpleasant to deal with.
    • The thorniness of the legal dispute kept the lawyers busy for months.
    • The thorniness of their relationship made family gatherings awkward.
    • She was surprised by the thorniness of the simple-looking math problem.