1
as in puncture
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument
the immunization shot left a prick on my arm that turned into a bruise
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in tingle
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
she felt a sharp prick when the nurse gave her the shot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prick
Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 4 Dec. 2025
She was connected to an IV with insulin, her fingers repeatedly pricked to test blood glucose.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
The curious cats will keep their eyes wide open and ears pricked forward.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
Citing the French Interior Ministry, Le Monde reported that 145 people across France reported being pricked.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prick
Verb
Beyond the myriad complications that come with diabetes, patients have to additionally put up with regular blood sugar testing – which involves either multiple pin pricks a day to draw blood or wearing a continuous glucose monitor patch that needs to be replaced every couple of weeks.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 4 Dec. 2025
She was connected to an IV with insulin, her fingers repeatedly pricked to test blood glucose.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
The curious cats will keep their eyes wide open and ears pricked forward.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
Citing the French Interior Ministry, Le Monde reported that 145 people across France reported being pricked.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prick
Noun
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The volume collects work from the last decade, each with a brief preface from the author, giving us a puncture of the present into her words of the past.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Melancon's fingers were swollen from puncture wounds.—
Bill Whitaker,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The spicy versions deliver a swift punch and a lingering tingle on the tongue.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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And second, there’s the audience’s uncomfortable tingle of recognition watching Vladimir Putin’s tightening stranglehold on the Russian press.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mirroring the 3-star wig cap structure, this wig featured three combs (left-side, right-side, nape), a drawstring, wig band insertion holes, and a 13×4 lace.—
Noel Cymone Walker,
StyleCaster,
1 Apr. 2026
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Fitzpatrick, who missed four birdie chances from inside 10 feet in a seven-hole stretch around the turn, holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-3 15th to take the lead, only for Lipsky — playing in the group behind him — to make a 7-foot birdie on the 14th to catch him.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Some of the first signs of Lyme disease include mild fever, joint aches, muscle pain, fatigue and headache.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
9 Apr. 2026
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When to see a doctor Ashamalla stressed that people shouldn’t be frightened by every ache or pain.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All of the world’s greatest golfers combined are boring compared to Tiger and his now Elvis-like descent.—
Mac Engel
April 9,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
-
An InStyle fashion writer is recommending her mom swap her usual boring one-piece swimsuits for a tankini.—
Essence Wiley,
InStyle,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At a recent sleepover, my 15-year-old son and his 14-year-old friend Charlie, driven by a pang of nostalgia, chose to watch the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics on YouTube.—
Luba Kassova,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
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What Brooks proffers is not the philosophy these queries require but a kind of pharmacology—a pill designed to alleviate every last pang.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Retatrutide has shown similar side effects, as well as a prickling sensation known as dysesthesia.—
Meg Tirrell,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
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An awareness of absent ancestors prickles through her writing, but at the same time, her fictional worlds feel solid and present.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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However, with a broader definition, women’s health now encompasses all of the conditions that affect women disproportionately, uniquely, and differently, from autoimmune conditions to chronic pain and dementia.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
10 Apr. 2026
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Saatva mattresses are highly recommended for people with back and joint pain, as well as side sleepers.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prick. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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