1
: a mark or shallow hole made by a pointed instrument
2
a
: a pointed instrument or weapon
b
: a sharp projecting organ or part
3
4
vulgar
: penis
5
slang, vulgar
: a spiteful or contemptible man often having some authority
pricked; pricking; pricks
1
: to pierce slightly with a sharp point
2
: to affect with anguish, grief, or remorse
doubt began to prick him—
Philip Hale
Philip Hale3
: to ride, guide, or urge on with or as if with spurs : goad
4
: to mark, distinguish, or note by means of a small mark
5
: to trace or outline with punctures
6
: to remove (a young seedling) from the seedbed to another suitable for further growth
—usually used with out
7
: to cause to be or stand erect
a dog pricking its ears
Synonyms
Examples of prick in a Sentence
Noun
She felt a prick as the thorn jabbed her foot.
He felt the prick of the needle.
She felt a prick of jealousy.
Verb
The nurse pricked my finger and squeezed out a drop of blood.
The sharp shells pricked the bottoms of our feet.
She was pricked by doubt.
Recent Examples on the WebJames Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
Another is a growing concern of Harris’ periodic comments on issues related to Indian democracy and human rights, ruffling feathers in India and pricking the warming ties between Washington and New Delhi.
—Anika Arora Seth, Washington Post, 28 July 2024
Her debut memoir is steeped in humidity and flecked with beads of sweat, pricked by mosquitoes, and slathered with candy-scented body lotion.
—Kristen Arnett, TIME, 4 June 2024
And when a final showdown arrives — several women and girls chirping out an animalistic warning — the hair on the back of your neck pricks up.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for prick 
Verb
Somewhere out there in the ether, the ghost in the machine hears our weak little mouse clicks and pricks up his horns.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
Another is a growing concern of Harris’ periodic comments on issues related to Indian democracy and human rights, ruffling feathers in India and pricking the warming ties between Washington and New Delhi.
—Anika Arora Seth, Washington Post, 28 July 2024
Her debut memoir is steeped in humidity and flecked with beads of sweat, pricked by mosquitoes, and slathered with candy-scented body lotion.
—Kristen Arnett, TIME, 4 June 2024
And when a final showdown arrives — several women and girls chirping out an animalistic warning — the hair on the back of your neck pricks up.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for prick
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prick.' 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 prick
Cite this Entry
“Prick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prick. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prick
1 of 2 noun1
: a mark or small wound made by a pointed instrument
2
: something sharp or pointed
3
: an instance of pricking
4
: the sensation of being pricked
prick
2 of 2 verb1
: to pierce slightly with a sharp point
2
: to have or cause a feeling of or as if of being pricked
3
: to point forward or upward
the dog's ears pricked up at the sound
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