1
2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
she dreaded having to deal with her prickly boss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
This is because squash plants produce prickly leaves and stems that rabbits dislike.
—
Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 25 Apr. 2026
This Japanese type of juniper shrub forms a dense mat of prickly blue-green needles that turn slightly purplish in winter.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Apr. 2026
This energy is ideal for gathering with loved ones, especially after a prickly start to the day.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
The original 2006 flick was based on the roman à clef by Lauren Weisberger, who was traumatized by notoriously prickly Vogue editor Anna Wintour at the hallowed Condé Nast offices in the late ‘90s.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 25 Apr. 2026
This Japanese type of juniper shrub forms a dense mat of prickly blue-green needles that turn slightly purplish in winter.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Apr. 2026
This energy is ideal for gathering with loved ones, especially after a prickly start to the day.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
The original 2006 flick was based on the roman à clef by Lauren Weisberger, who was traumatized by notoriously prickly Vogue editor Anna Wintour at the hallowed Condé Nast offices in the late ‘90s.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prickly
Adjective
-
Driver recovery can automate what used to be an irritating manual process.—
Andrew Cunningham,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
-
No-see-um bites may be painful and irritating.—
Eva Flowe
May 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
That’s because the Moon is at odds with Mars today and everyone is irritable.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
-
What are the symptoms of irritable bowel disease?—
Lindy Segal,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The project is particularly acrimonious, drawing out geographical battles between north and south and thorny fights between officials who want to build the tunnel and environmentalists and Delta residents seeking to protect the local ecosystem and their way of life.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
These lush new takes on disco and new wave are still engineered for an arms-up release, but introduce thornier emotional themes with a fresh dose of uninhibitedness.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Aces scored 26 points off those giveaways, which made things even more difficult on the defense.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
Schiraldi oversaw a particularly difficult period on Rikers.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
And that fiery, vibrant red that fades after mere weeks?—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
14 May 2026
-
The fiery collision was one of America’s deadliest drunken driving crashes on record.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
But the storms that lash the unpeopled coasts and jagged mountains of our Fiftieth State are no respecters of men, even the best of us.—
Ben East,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
-
From the beginning, the Palisades, with its Mediterranean climate and jagged coastline, lured the most adventurous of settlers, each generation reshaping it in its own image.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
The film opens with its shy, sensitive twentysomething protagonist, Bear, struggling to confess his feelings for his childhood friend, Nikki.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Under Xi's predecessor, Hu Jintao, China was more focused on economic integration and more sensitive to its international reputation, said Genser, who helped win another activist's freedom in 2007.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Then came Tom Brady, who walked out on stage at first with a scratchy microphone that quickly corrected itself.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
11 May 2026
-
The polyester cloth was scratchy on my thighs, the fit inexact.—
Benny Peterson,
Vogue,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prickly. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
