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
Tim Robinson, the former Saturday Night Live writer and performer who now co-stars with Paul Rudd in the prickly cringe comedy Friendship, is probably a genius.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 May 2025
That's far worse than his 7-point deficit in approval on handling immigration (as reported here), demonstrating that public sentiment is especially prickly when economic well-being is on the line.
—Ishai Melamede, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025
Characters like Diane Kruger’s Terry, a prickly dog groomer and the sister of his Karsh’s late wife Becca, who happens to look exactly like her.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 Apr. 2025
Boselli and his teammates, coached by prickly taskmaster Tom Coughlin, saw it differently.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prickly
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Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 May 2025
That's far worse than his 7-point deficit in approval on handling immigration (as reported here), demonstrating that public sentiment is especially prickly when economic well-being is on the line.
—Ishai Melamede, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025
Characters like Diane Kruger’s Terry, a prickly dog groomer and the sister of his Karsh’s late wife Becca, who happens to look exactly like her.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 Apr. 2025
Boselli and his teammates, coached by prickly taskmaster Tom Coughlin, saw it differently.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Cite this Entry
“Prickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prickly. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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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