Term: prickly
prickly (adjective): (of a person) easily annoyed, offended, or sensitive to criticism; also used to describe something covered in prickles or thorns.
synonyms: touchy, irritable, thorny
pronunciation: /ˈprɪkli/
translation: dzēlīgs, aizkaitināms, “ass” (raksturā)
example: You have to be careful what you say to him in the morning; he can be quite prickly before he’s had his coffee.
other words from this root: prick (verb/noun), prickle (noun/verb).
Contextual Usage
- Personality: Describes someone who gets defensive or grumpy very quickly.
- Physical: “The cactus has prickly spines,” or “This wool sweater feels prickly against my skin.”
- Situations: A “prickly issue” is a complicated subject that is likely to cause disagreement or offense.
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
prickly (adjective)1.
full of or covered with - prickles , especially distinguished from related kinds by the presence of prickles
2.
marked by - prickling stinging a prickly sensation
3.
a) - troublesome vexatious prickly issues
b) easily irritated - had a prickly disposition
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
prickly (adjective)1.
causing an unpleasant tingling sensation
SYNONYMS:
irritating, itchy, pricklyRELATED WORDS:
coarse, harsh, roughNEAR ANTONYMS:
silken, silky, soft, soothing2.
easily irritated or annoyed
SYNONYMS:
choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, crotchety, fiery, grouchy, grumpy, irascible, peevish, perverse, pettish, petulant, prickly, quick-tempered, raspy, ratty, short-tempered, snappish, snappy, snarky, snippety, snippy, stuffy, testy, waspishRELATED WORDS:
bearish, bilious, cantankerous, cross-grained, curmudgeonly, disagreeable, dyspeptic, ill-humored, ill-natured, ill-tempered, off-color ( off-colored), ornery, querulous, snarly, surly; argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, disputatious, fractious, fretful, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent; huffy, pouty, sensitive, short, sulky, sullen, tetchy, thin-skinned, touchy; hot-blooded, passionateNEAR ANTONYMS:
affable, companionable, cordial, extroverted ( extraverted), friendly, genial, gregarious, outgoing, sociable; agreeable, amiable, good-natured, good-tempered, sweet, well-disposed; carefree, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, relaxed; forbearing, long-suffering, obliging, patient, stoic ( stoical), tolerant, uncomplaining, understanding3.
having leaves or branches which are likely to cause a scratch
SYNONYMS:
brambly, prickly, thistly, thornyRELATED WORDS:
burred; bristly, coarse, jagged, rough4.
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
SYNONYMS:
catchy, delicate, difficult, dodgy, hairy, knotty, nasty, prickly, problematic ( problematical), sensitive, spiny, sticky, thorny, ticklish, touchy, tough, tricksyRELATED WORDS:
abstract, abstruse, complex, complicated, hard, intricate, involved, recondite, serious; problem, scabrous, stubborn, troublesome, troublous, vexatious, vexing, worrisome; burdensome, demanding, discommoding, exacting, exhausting, importunate, inconvenient, onerous, oppressive, painful, stressfulNEAR ANTONYMS:
easy, effortless, manageable, painless, simple, straightforward, uncomplicated, undemanding, unproblematic