prickly

adjective

prick·ly | \ ˈpri-k(ə-)lē

pricklier; prickliest

Definition of prickly

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

3a : troublesome, vexatious prickly issues

b : easily irritated had a prickly disposition

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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

Fleabag has perhaps stolen a little of that final-season momentum from Amazon stablemate Catastrophe, another magnificently prickly small-batch import, though one with two previous Emmy nominations on its CV. — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "Emmys: Why Voters Should Give 'Veep,' 'Big Bang Theory' and Other Ending Series One Final Look," 14 June 2019 The disciplinary proceedings arising from the Switzerland-Serbia game, however, present a more prickly problem for FIFA. — James Montague, New York Times, "Politics Ensnare Mohamed Salah and Switzerland at the World Cup," 24 June 2018 The most visceral discussions in my focus groups centered on integration—an even pricklier topic than border control. — Sophia Gaston, WSJ, "Europe’s Leaders Need a New Way of Talking About Immigration," 6 Sep. 2018 Poland risks becoming like Turkey, a prickly ally important only because of its strategic location, says a Washington insider. — The Economist, "Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party is doing lasting damage," 21 Apr. 2018 One of them, the Alejandro Adams, based in California’s Bay Area, produced work during this period that was too prickly and individual to categorize under any rubric. — Glenn Kenny, New York Times, "Spike Lee’s ‘Pass Over,’ an Offbeat Melding of Cinema and Theater," 11 May 2018 The cardón grows as tall as 60 feet, its prickly arms providing homes for desert birds and insects. — Rosemary Mcclure, latimes.com, "Escape for a weekend to a Mexican expedition cruise brimming with sea vistas and animal antics," 15 Mar. 2018 With its slightly prickly fibers, the abaca rug from Belgian firm Limited Edition adds another note of coarseness, while the custom velvet sofa and bronze coffee table ooze sensual luxury. — Ian Phillips, WSJ, "A Dull New Apartment Gets an Infusion of Personality," 8 Nov. 2018 Israelis often identify themselves with the sabra, the cactus fruit that has a prickly exterior and a soft interior and pride themselves on their frankness and shameless audacity. — Ruth Eglash, The Seattle Times, "Monica Lewinsky walks off the stage at a Jerusalem conference when asked about Bill Clinton," 4 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prickly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.