variants or less commonly spikey
spikier; spikiest
1
: of, relating to, or characterized by spikes
spiky barbed wire
2
: sharply irritating or acerbic (as in temper or manner)
spikily adverb
spikiness noun

Examples of spiky in a Sentence

a plant with spiky leaves He has a spiky personality.
Recent Examples on the Web How Stem Segments Tell the Difference The Thanksgiving cactus has the spikiest stem segments of the three varieties, and its pollen is yellow. Emma Phelps, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2023 Common snappers range from Nova Scotia to the Gulf of Mexico, while their spikier cousins are mostly found in the southern states west to Texas. Paul Richards, Field & Stream, 1 Nov. 2023 Her hair was mostly swept up into a bun, emphasizing the straight line of her slightly spiky new bangs. Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 27 Aug. 2023 These ads document the EV arms race playing out right now as companies beef up their electric offerings with higher profiles, spikier bodies, and more imposing grilles. Curbed, 8 Feb. 2023 See all Example Sentences for spiky 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spiky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spiky was in 1578

Dictionary Entries Near spiky

Cite this Entry

“Spiky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiky. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

spiky

adjective
variants also spikey
spikier; spikiest
: of, relating to, or characterized by spikes
spiky barbed wire
spikiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on spiky

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!