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
Data distortions are never ideal, but having an expectedly messy jobs report land just days before a consequential election and a pivotal Federal Reserve meeting is particularly prickly.
—
Alicia Wallace, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
Working in that setting, Hinchcliffe caught the attention of Joe Rogan and Jeff Ross, who separately tapped the comic to open for them on the road, and whose audiences also rewarded Hinchcliffe’s inclination toward hot-button subject matter and prickly jokes.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024
In a matter of days, the baseball field could be covered in an ocean of prickly Russian thistle tumbleweeds.
—Emilie Ikeda, NBC News, 29 Oct. 2024
In the 2012 documentary Ethel, directed by youngest daughter Rory—who was born six months after her father died—Ethel is often a prickly interviewee.
—Kathy Ehrich Dowd, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prickly 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alicia Wallace, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
Working in that setting, Hinchcliffe caught the attention of Joe Rogan and Jeff Ross, who separately tapped the comic to open for them on the road, and whose audiences also rewarded Hinchcliffe’s inclination toward hot-button subject matter and prickly jokes.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024
In a matter of days, the baseball field could be covered in an ocean of prickly Russian thistle tumbleweeds.
—Emilie Ikeda, NBC News, 29 Oct. 2024
In the 2012 documentary Ethel, directed by youngest daughter Rory—who was born six months after her father died—Ethel is often a prickly interviewee.
—Kathy Ehrich Dowd, TIME, 10 Oct. 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 22 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share