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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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 Faith King and Josiah Fagerstrom both deliver delightfully prickly repartee as their characters gradually manage to surpass archetype. — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2026 The only new face that does demand a lot of attention so far is a prickly new assistant coach, Alice (an excellent Tanya Reynolds). — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026 Since the cones are prickly, don’t use your fingers for this. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2026 These prickly hairs are for protection, with barbed ends that easily penetrate the skin of predators or your hand. — Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 26 July 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
  • Sabalenka double-faulted on match point, her seventh double fault of the day, to put an exclamation point on an irritating evening.
    — Lukas Weese, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Soft, suede-like material is smooth on skin and non-irritating.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritating
Adjective
  • Skipping meals can negatively affect blood sugar levels and leave you feeling hungry, irritable, and unable to pay attention.
    — Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, an irritable, cynical weatherman sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to report a story about the town’s quaint groundhog ceremony.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • Connecting people with clinical trials is complicated – even if people identify a promising match, there’s a slew of potentially thorny factors, including geographic incompatibility, and financial and time considerations.
    — Michelle Andrews, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The two companies have a number of complementary businesses — including substantial pipeline and storage networks — but combining the operations would have been thorny.
    — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of thorny
Adjective
  • The shortcomings of Usman and Dvalishvili, future Hall of Famers, only point to how difficult the historic mark was to reach.
    — Mark Puleo, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The Teamsters have been enthusiastically endorsing the bill specifically because, while 40-something employers would be difficult to collectively bargain against, DSP workers would be much easier to organize once within Amazon.
    — Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • Alas, the peace does not hold even for a minute, as Daemon takes Corlys back as a prisoner, and embarks on a fiery campaign against Tumbleton.
    — Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But employees were already used to spectacular mishaps, fiery and otherwise.
    — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fiery
Adjective
  • The man’s skull had broken in 61 separate places, and another 60 jagged bits of bone were distributed across his ribs.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Arctic dreams Russian President Vladimir Putin has long envisioned the 3,500-mile route along Russia’s jagged Arctic coastline becoming a major artery for trade – and a driver of investment in Russian ports and oil and gas fields.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of jagged
Adjective
  • Batteries can store electricity, but extreme cold can threaten sensitive electronics and other critical hardware.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026
  • There are several hundred stars that closely orbit this giant black hole and are sensitive to its gravity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • Reaching for gritty scrubs or scratchy tools at night can make the problem worse.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Since the fire, residents have reported experiencing scratchy throats, headaches and nausea because of the ongoing smell.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of prickly for Spanish Speakers

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