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
But the Path of Exile community is also pretty prickly, and many are calling for GGG to take action against him for boosting or account sharing as that’s against TOS and other players would be banned for it.
—
Paul Tassi, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Tingly Foods Sichuan Pepper Peanuts Red and green Sichuan peppercorns pack a prickly punch in this crunchy snack, perfect alongside a cold, crisp beer.
—Megan Zhang, Saveur, 13 Nov. 2024
Page after page, her writing is full of humor built around prickly sarcasm and woebegone twists in George’s life.
—Kendal Weaver, Boston Herald, 13 Oct. 2024
As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Biden tried to smooth over rough patches between Carter and foreign leaders, particularly the prickly German chancellor.
—Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prickly 
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Paul Tassi, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Tingly Foods Sichuan Pepper Peanuts Red and green Sichuan peppercorns pack a prickly punch in this crunchy snack, perfect alongside a cold, crisp beer.
—Megan Zhang, Saveur, 13 Nov. 2024
Page after page, her writing is full of humor built around prickly sarcasm and woebegone twists in George’s life.
—Kendal Weaver, Boston Herald, 13 Oct. 2024
As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Biden tried to smooth over rough patches between Carter and foreign leaders, particularly the prickly German chancellor.
—Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prickly
Dictionary Entries Near prickly
Cite this Entry
“Prickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prickly. Accessed 19 Jan. 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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