BRISTLY Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

bristly

adjective

ˈbris-lē

Definition of bristly

as in shaggy

covered with or as if with hair although pigs look hairless, they're actually bristly creatures

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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.

Recent Examples of bristly And my father—lovable but imposing, a strapping six feet three inches tall with a thick, bristly mustache and a rumbling Sergeant Schultz accent that frightened my friends half to death—loved to tell stories. — CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025 But that hypothesis, Harland wrote in a bristly 1964 Scientific American article, was not supported by any concrete evidence. — Laura Poppick july 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025 Called Utah arrays, they are made of hard silicon and look a bit like the bristly part of a hairbrush. — WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022 Thirteen Lives reminds me of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 for its bristly character moments, people caught in extremis. — Joshua Rothkopf, EW.com, 6 Aug. 2022 See All Example Sentences for bristly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristly

Adjective

Sans the shaggy material, further animal looks have popped at Nike on drops including a cow Primeknit Pegasus Plus and an Air Force 1 Low with leopard print canvas Swoosh.

— Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
He was done with being shaggy — this would be an album of precision.

— Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of shaggy

Adjective

Hirta is Latin for hairy, and the plant’s stems do feel rough to the touch.

— Sheryl DeVore, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
For millions of years, Pacific mastodons — huge, hairy relatives of modern elephants — roamed a vast and lush range that included California, Oregon, the northern Rocky Mountains and parts of Mexico.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of hairy

Adjective

Related Articles Andie MacDowell Andie MacDowell went for minimalist elegance in a long-sleeve maxidress crafted of silky satin fabric on Monday night’s runway.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Lookism baked right into the lyrics — women with big breasts are good, women with silky hair are good, that kind of thing.

— Billboard Japan, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of silky

Browse Nearby Words

bristling

bristly

britches

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“Bristly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristly. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bristly

adjective

Example Sentences

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