nettlesome

adjective

net·​tle·​some ˈne-tᵊl-səm How to pronounce nettlesome (audio)
Synonyms of nettlesomenext
: causing vexation : irritating

Examples of nettlesome in a Sentence

a few nettlesome details that still required attention
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Yet that also could require a nettlesome legal process that could drag on for years. Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 1 May 2026 Just within the past half-decade, dozens of Islamic communities throughout the country have seen nettlesome zoning regulations delay, downsize or outright block mosque projects from moving forward. Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Apr. 2026 One opponent was especially nettlesome: the CIA station chief. T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2025 The Medical Board vows to learn the lessons of the past — handing administration of the new program to a third party that actually knows how to run one, for instance — though nettlesome details about funding have yet to be worked out. Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nettlesome

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nettlesome was in 1845

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nettlesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nettlesome. Accessed 6 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster