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
Early hours may feel prickly, as a tense Moon-Sun square pits enthusiastic action against sensitive emotions.
—
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
Best known for its brilliant purple flowerhead and prickly parts, native thistle is a major source of food for pollinators.
—Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for prickly
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Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
Best known for its brilliant purple flowerhead and prickly parts, native thistle is a major source of food for pollinators.
—Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Cite this Entry
“Prickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prickly. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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
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