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

2

: marked by prickling : stinging

a prickly sensation

3

a

: troublesome, vexatious

prickly issues

b

: easily irritated

had a prickly disposition

prickliness noun

Synonyms of prickly

• irritating

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

Is someone that checked out, and that prickly a figure really about to be among the ranks of three-time Oscar-winning living legends Daniel Day-Lewis, Frances McDormand, Jack Nicholson, and Meryl Streep? —Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 4 Mar. 2026

Advertisement Gyllenhaal’s debut picture, 2021’s Elena Ferrante adaptation The Lost Daughter—with Olivia Colman as a prickly academic on holiday, played, in her younger incarnation, by Buckley—was similarly ambitious, but its urgent, freewheeling sense of discovery worked in its favor. —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 Mar. 2026

Offshore Data Centers Face Challenges Aikido’s plan avoids the prickly not-in-my-backyard complaints that are dogging both onshore wind and data-center projects. —IEEE Spectrum, 3 Mar. 2026

Jürgen is a prickly, sensitive human being. —Roger Bennett, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing prickly

• prickly ash
• prickly heat
• prickly pear
• prickly pear cactus
• prickly pear fruit
• prickly poppy

Rhymes for prickly

• quickly
• sickly
• thickly

Kids 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