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
An example the authors use are desert raisins, which are berries grown on prickly bushes native to Australia.
—
Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 1 Aug. 2024
In best-selling British romance writer Talia Hibbert’s delightful 2019 novel, Get a Life, Chloe Brown, a near-death experience encourages the titular character, a chronically ill, prickly computer nerd, to live her life to the fullest.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 1 Aug. 2024
That’s not to say Haria doesn’t tackle the prickly bits of growing up, both in and out of her community.
—Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 31 July 2024
Former cohost of The View and cactus connoisseur Meghan McCain thinks that comparisons between J.D. Vance and her late father's vice president pick Sarah Palin make for a prickly combination.
—EW.com, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for prickly 
Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 1 Aug. 2024
In best-selling British romance writer Talia Hibbert’s delightful 2019 novel, Get a Life, Chloe Brown, a near-death experience encourages the titular character, a chronically ill, prickly computer nerd, to live her life to the fullest.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 1 Aug. 2024
That’s not to say Haria doesn’t tackle the prickly bits of growing up, both in and out of her community.
—Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 31 July 2024
Former cohost of The View and cactus connoisseur Meghan McCain thinks that comparisons between J.D. Vance and her late father's vice president pick Sarah Palin make for a prickly combination.
—EW.com, 30 July 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 19 Aug. 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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