spinier; spiniest
1
: abounding with difficulties, obstacles, or annoyances : thorny
spiny problems
2
: covered or armed with spines
broadly : bearing spines, prickles, or thorns
3
: slender and pointed like a spine
spininess noun

Examples of spiny in a Sentence

this promises to be a spiny problem to negotiate
Recent Examples on the Web Many predators have specialized digestive systems that can handle tough or spiny prey, with powerful stomach acids or enzymes that can break down spines or other tough structures. Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024 It’s long been believed that the first of these animals sported a single, simple shell—but a new fossil, described this week in Science, suggests early mollusks were flat slugs with spiny armor instead. Molly Herring, science.org, 2 Aug. 2024 Aruban cooks add a spiny, light green cucumber, called concomber, to the stew at the same time as the potatoes. Roger Sands, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024 But how could all these species, many of which evolved separately over the course of millions of years, come to have the same spiny feature? Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 1 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spiny 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spiny.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spiny was in 1586

Dictionary Entries Near spiny

Cite this Entry

“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiny. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

spiny

adjective
spinier; spiniest
1
: full of difficulties, obstacles, or problems : thorny
2
: having or covered with spines, thorns, or prickles
spininess noun

More from Merriam-Webster on spiny

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