bristled; bristling
ˈbris-liŋ 
ˈbri-sə-
1
: to furnish with short stiff coarse hairs or filaments : to furnish with bristles
1
a
: to rise and stand stiffly erect
quills bristling
b
: to raise the bristles (as in anger)
a snarling, bristling dog
2
: to take on an aggressively defensive attitude (as in response to a slight or criticism)
he bristled at the accusations of corruption
3
a
: to be full of or covered with especially something suggestive of bristles
roofs bristled with chimneys
b
: to be full of something specified
book bristles with detail and irony—
W. J. Broad
W. J. BroadExamples of bristle in a Sentence
Noun
a face covered with bristles
the bristles of a brush
Verb
Electricity makes your hair bristle.
a recent college grad thrilled to be starting a new life in a city bristling with possibilities
Recent Examples on the Web
Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Why Hair Brushes Work Better When Clean When hair brushes aren’t regularly cleaned, the bristles accumulate dead hair, product buildup (from hair spray, dry shampoo, and the likes), and natural scalp oils.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2025
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
Amis eventually left the United Kingdom, found other subjects, perhaps to try to free himself from the maddening obligation his bristling sensibilities toward the English put him under.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bristle
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Noun
Crafted from 100% ultra-fine looped nylon fibers, the massaging bristles are designed to stimulate the blood vessels in the scalp.
—Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Why Hair Brushes Work Better When Clean When hair brushes aren’t regularly cleaned, the bristles accumulate dead hair, product buildup (from hair spray, dry shampoo, and the likes), and natural scalp oils.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
The family felt the e-commerce giant was a poor home for the elegant secret agent and bristled at its efforts to expand the scope of the franchise, while Amazon executives were frustrated by the glacial pace of getting a new film off the ground, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
Amis eventually left the United Kingdom, found other subjects, perhaps to try to free himself from the maddening obligation his bristling sensibilities toward the English put him under.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bristle
Cite this Entry
“Bristle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bristle. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bristle
1 of 2 noun
bris·tle
ˈbris-əl
: a short stiff hair or something like a hair
bristled
adjective
-əld
bristly
adjective
-(ə-)lē
bristle
2 of 2 verb
bristled; bristling
-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to rise up and stiffen like bristles
makes your hair bristle
quills bristling in all directions
2
: to show signs of anger
bristled at the insult
3
: to appear as if covered with bristles
a harbor bristling with the masts of ships
bristly
adjective
-(ə-)lē
Medical Definition
bristle
noun
bris·tle
ˈbris-əl
: a short stiff coarse hair or filament
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