thrawn

Participle of thraw. Cognate with English thrown.

• IPA^(key): /θɹɑn/

thrawn (comparative thrawner, superlative thrawnest)

1. twisted, crooked, distorted, misshapen.
2. (of mouth) wry, twisted with rage or pain.
3. (of person) obstinate, stubborn, defiant, contrarian.
   • 1991, The Herald‎:

     Apart from the distinctively thrawn nature of our fellow citizens, how are we to explain the extraordinary switch in support to the SNP from Labour in our opinion poll on voting intentions for a Scottish parliament?

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

   • 2010, Kevin McKenna, The Guardian‎:

     Then an embossed card wafted through his letterbox last week and shattered his thrawn defiance of celebrity.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

   • 2020, Ian McConnell, The Herald‎:

     The thrawn Tory Brexiters should heed words of Burns as they fly Union Flags [...] With every day that passes, the impression of the Brexiters as being utterly thrawn, to use a great Scots word, just keeps on growing.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

   • 2020, Robin McKie, The Guardian‎:

     It is an extraordinary success story – and it was achieved by a small family firm whose members were notable because they were "stubborn, thrawn and as hard as nails", according to a newly published study of the Johnnie Walker blend.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

   • 2021, Jan Prentice, The Herald‎:

     She achieved this through an astute mix of business acumen and pin-sharp organisational skills, to say nothing of thrawn dedication and dogged persuasiveness.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

4. (of person) surly, bad tempered
   • 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:

     And then she changed her voice and would be as saft as honey: 'My puir wee Ailie, was I thrawn till ye? Never mind, my bonnie. You and me are a' that's left, and we maunna be ill to ither.'

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

5. (of weather) inclement

• Used in standard Scots and Ulster Scots.
• Used (mainly in Scotland) in Standard English most frequently in the sense "stubborn".

• IPA^(key): /θrau̯n/

thrawn

1. Aspirate mutation of trawn.