prickly

adjective

ˈpri-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce prickly (audio)
Definition of pricklynext
1
as in irritating
causing an unpleasant tingling sensation she tried to ignore the feel of the prickly grass against her skin

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed she dreaded having to deal with her prickly boss

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in thorny
having leaves or branches which are likely to cause a scratch waded carefully through the prickly bushes

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4
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling a prickly issue that will outrage at least one special interest if not handled delicately

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 prickly The normally prickly and unsympathetic Harriet Oleson (Katherine MacGregor) switches gears into hero mode, rounding up the town's men to scour the countryside for the children who've become trapped. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026 Set the scene Desert-meets-tropical-island, where succulents flourish like daisies in spring, and prickly cacti forests line the local roads into the capital of Willemstad. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 June 2026 Still, a square between Venus and Chiron could make mundane conversations more prickly than usual, especially around work, wellness or responsibilities. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026 Based on the bestselling novel by Bart Baker, Honeymoon with Harry follows a rough-around-the-edges man (Gyllenhaal) who ends up sharing an unwanted journey with his fiancée’s prickly, overprotective father (Costner) after a life-altering turn upends their plans. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for prickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prickly
  1. irritating
  2. irritable
  3. thorny
  4. difficult
  5. fiery
  6. jagged
  7. sensitive
  8. scratchy
Adjective
  • Few workplace behaviors are as small, common and irritating as the message that goes unanswered.
    — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Greenberg tried his best to ignore an irritating ankle injury that had plagued him the last couple of weeks and grimaced under the hazy sunlight as the pitcher, probably 20 or more years his junior, stared him down.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of irritating
Adjective
  • Perelman said people who have weakened immune systems and those with irritable bowel disease may want to talk to their doctors before incorporating the foods into their diet.
    — Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • The symptoms are so delayed that people often blame them on food poisoning, irritable-bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • The thorny issue of AI will of course be debated with Adriana Ramírez of Megatrax leading the discussion.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 13 July 2026
  • These traits alone don’t make this tree invasive, but the trees began cross-pollinating with other pear species, whose offspring create thorny thickets that smother native plants and habitat.
    — Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 July 2026
Definition of thorny
Adjective
  • Unlike dogs, they cannot simply be taken on longer walks, often resist dietary changes, and can be difficult to medicate consistently, making GLP-1 therapies potentially attractive if clinical trials prove successful.
    — Elsa Ohlen,Carolin Roth, CNBC, 18 July 2026
  • Their stories recount the devastation to homes and businesses, life in temporary shelters, and the difficult process of rebuilding or relocating.
    — Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • The actress and comedian, 46, turned up the heat in a fiery red dress at the 2026 ESPYS.
    — Jaclyn Hendricks, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
  • The satellites would only survive about 20 minutes before ultimately plunging to their fiery doom reentering Earth’s atmosphere.
    — Lee Billings & Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 16 July 2026
Definition of fiery
Adjective
  • But early reactions confirm Moonshot’s model is a solid one, even if more jagged than Anthropic's Fable or OpenAI's Sol in some applications.
    — Christian Catalini, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • While 2022’s Trouble the Water embraced the jagged edges of Show Me the Body’s sludgy punk-metal sound, Alone Together is a sleek and streamlined album that includes their most agreeable songs yet.
    — Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026
Definition of jagged
Adjective
  • High levels of fine particulate matter in the air from wildfire smoke may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as children and people with heart or lung conditions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 July 2026
  • Right on the heels of Microsoft releasing a record number of security patches, a researcher has published exploit code that can enable low-privilege Windows accounts to make sensitive changes to administrator accounts.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • Symptoms of smoke inhalation include coughing, trouble breathing, wheezing, asthma attacks, stinging eyes, scratchy throat, runny nose and irritated sinuses, headaches, tiredness, chest pain and a fast heartbeat.
    — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 17 July 2026
  • Using too much detergent leaves soapy residue in fabrics, trapping dirt, bacteria, and hard water minerals, which leaves clothes looking dull, feeling stiff and scratchy, and smelling bad.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 July 2026
Definition of scratchy

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Cite this Entry

“Prickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prickly. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of prickly for Spanish Speakers

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