prickly
adjective
prick·ly
ˈpri-k(ə-)lē 
pricklier; prickliest
1
: full of or covered with prickles
especially
: distinguished from related kinds by the presence of prickles
3
a
: troublesome, vexatious
prickly issues
b
: easily irritated
had a prickly disposition
prickliness
noun
Examples of prickly in a Sentence
The plant's leaves are prickly.
she tried to ignore the feel of the prickly grass against her skin
Recent Examples on the Web
Vast mats of prickly brown seaweed float so thickly on the windless surface that Christopher Columbus worried about his ships getting stuck.
—
Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024
Fay is prickly, aloof, and obsessed with gay men; Nell is shy, sensitive, and obsessed with Fay.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 17 June 2024
The Chinese-Russian bond has surprised many analysts aware of Beijing and Moscow’s prickly relations in the past, including the infamous Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s, which culminated in a short border war.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
But more and more, the people sitting on the prickly lawn abandon the booklets, reaching instead for cheap cardboard glasses.
—The Indianapolis Star, 8 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prickly 
Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024
Fay is prickly, aloof, and obsessed with gay men; Nell is shy, sensitive, and obsessed with Fay.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 17 June 2024
The Chinese-Russian bond has surprised many analysts aware of Beijing and Moscow’s prickly relations in the past, including the infamous Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s, which culminated in a short border war.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
But more and more, the people sitting on the prickly lawn abandon the booklets, reaching instead for cheap cardboard glasses.
—The Indianapolis Star, 8 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prickly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prickly.' 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 prickly
Cite this Entry
“Prickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prickly. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prickly
adjective
prick·ly
ˈprik-lē
-ə-lē
pricklier; prickliest
1
: full of or covered with prickles
prickly plants
2
: marked by slight stinging or tingling
a prickly sensation
prickliness
noun
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