Thesaurus results for THISTLY

thistly

adjective

Definition of thistly

as in prickly

having leaves or branches which are likely to cause a scratch caught her sleeve on a thistly bush

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thistly

Adjective

In Lourdes, Leo will be reminded of a prickly abuse case inherited from Pope Francis.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
If only his dour and prickly assistant Patricia (Kate O’Flynn) would stop mentioning her encounter with the murderous Boogeyman.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of prickly

Adjective

In South Africa’s northernmost province, under a cavernous expanse of jagged gray rock, lies a mineral treasure trove that could play a pivotal role in the country’s relationship with global superpowers.

— Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
The sheer force of the falls, crashing over jagged cliffs, is hypnotic, drawing millions of visitors each year.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of jagged

Adjective

The story of the rest of post-independent India lives far away from the film’s peripheries; Rio’s concerns, instead, are hyper-focused on a local tale of transformation and thorny resilience.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Experiments with the tech raise thorny questions over everything from copyright and creative authorship to the future of models, photographers and other image-makers.

— Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of thorny

Adjective

The look is crisp, angular, and metallic, with lots of straight lines and slender silhouettes, and sits in pleasing contrast alongside luscious velvet and scratchy linen, rough stone, warm terracotta, or grainy timber.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Winning ugly has become a kind of superpower for her, in the years when scratchy form emerged more often than not.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of scratchy

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.

Browse Nearby Words

this

thistly

thorax

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Thistly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thistly. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of thistly

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

bellwether

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes