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
  • Much of its body is covered in prickly sensory hair-like structures called setae, researchers said.
    Lauren Liebhaber September 8, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Revenge wears a wry smile in this prickly comedy from Paul Weitz (the director of American Pie and About a Boy), as Fonda and Tomlin inhabit former best friends who reunite for a funeral.
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Most of the surface is made up of a fine dust with jagged edges because it hasn’t been weathered by wind or water.
    Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Against all of this allegedly heady stuff, the score—by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross—intentionally jars us from encroaching drowsiness with chortling woodwinds and shardlike piano chords that are the aural equivalent of jagged Plexiglass off-cuts.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The process to get a refund could be thorny for some.
    Solcyré Burga, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
  • That’s a tall order with abysmal civic education and sharp partisan divisions over thorny issues.
    Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Even though modern machines and detergents have taken most of the workload out of the task, there are still some outdated laundry habits that may leave your clothes and linens looking dingy, smelling less than fresh, and feeling scratchy.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2025
  • The cups are removable, which is nice, depending on my mood, and the lace isn’t itchy or scratchy on my sensitive skin.
    Malia Griggs, Glamour, 4 Aug. 2025
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

Cite this Entry

“Thistly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thistly. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!