bristled; bristling
ˈbris-liŋ 
ˈbri-sə-
1
: to furnish with short stiff coarse hairs or filaments : to furnish with bristles
1
a
: to rise and stand stiffly erect
quills bristling
b
: to raise the bristles (as in anger)
a snarling, bristling dog
2
: to take on an aggressively defensive attitude (as in response to a slight or criticism)
he bristled at the accusations of corruption
3
a
: to be full of or covered with especially something suggestive of bristles
roofs bristled with chimneys
b
: to be full of something specified
book bristles with detail and irony—
W. J. Broad
W. J. BroadSynonyms
Examples of bristle in a Sentence
Noun
a face covered with bristles
the bristles of a brush
Verb
Electricity makes your hair bristle.
a recent college grad thrilled to be starting a new life in a city bristling with possibilities
Recent Examples on the WebJennifer Hussein, Allure, 20 Oct. 2024
This manual massage brush helps slough dead skin and revitalize skin with powerful bristles.
—Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 11 Oct. 2024
Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2024
On a somber walk across the BART bridge, fans bristled at the ballpark’s front entrance, once adorned with the franchise’s history but stood bare even before the game.
—Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bristle 
Noun
Editor's tip: The large, fluffy brush on one end has exactly double the number of bristles on the other.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 20 Oct. 2024
This manual massage brush helps slough dead skin and revitalize skin with powerful bristles.
—Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 11 Oct. 2024
Verb
States must typically invite federal investigators to assess potential bird-flu cases in person, and some have bristled at the prospect of letting federal officials onto farms.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2024
On a somber walk across the BART bridge, fans bristled at the ballpark’s front entrance, once adorned with the franchise’s history but stood bare even before the game.
—Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bristle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bristle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bristle
Cite this Entry
“Bristle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bristle. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bristle
1 of 2 noun
bris·tle
ˈbris-əl
: a short stiff hair or something like a hair
bristled
adjective
-əld
bristly
adjective
-(ə-)lē
bristle
2 of 2 verb
bristled; bristling
-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to rise up and stiffen like bristles
makes your hair bristle
quills bristling in all directions
2
: to show signs of anger
bristled at the insult
3
: to appear as if covered with bristles
a harbor bristling with the masts of ships
bristly
adjective
-(ə-)lē
Medical Definition
bristle
noun
bris·tle
ˈbris-əl
: a short stiff coarse hair or filament
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