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
With a prickly bubble, Fever Tree leapt to the top of our tasters’ lists almost immediately.
—
Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 July 2025
Season 7, released in April, continued the show’s prickly use of digital avatars and machine learning as plot devices for stories about moviemaking, video games and even attending a funeral.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
Lois's professional pride, Clark/Superman's surprisingly prickly self-defensiveness and the couple’s seesaw of friction and attraction are the closest a superhero movie will ever come to Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 8 July 2025
Investors were concerned by another prickly tariff announcement.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prickly
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Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 July 2025
Season 7, released in April, continued the show’s prickly use of digital avatars and machine learning as plot devices for stories about moviemaking, video games and even attending a funeral.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
Lois's professional pride, Clark/Superman's surprisingly prickly self-defensiveness and the couple’s seesaw of friction and attraction are the closest a superhero movie will ever come to Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 8 July 2025
Investors were concerned by another prickly tariff announcement.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 7 July 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 18 Jul. 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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