prickly

[US]/'prɪklɪ/
[UK]/ˈprɪkli/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

adj. full of sharp points or thorns; causing a stinging sensation; difficult to handle

Phrases & Collocations

prickly sensation

prickly heat

prickly ash

prickly pear

Example Sentences

this is a prickly subject.

He’s in a prickly mood.

a prickly sensation in my foot.

an extravagant collar of prickly blue bracts.

masses of prickly brambles.

his hair was prickly and short.

a dress that was prickly round the neck.

Hedgehogs are like prickly balls.

spineless forms of prickly pear have been selected.

his programme steers clear of prickly local issues.

neighbours rode loads of prickly pear to feed their animals.

Heat sometimes causes a prickly rash on the skin.

"he became rebarbative and prickly and spiteful";

He became rebarbative and prickly and spiteful; I find his obsequiousness repellent.

The most famous successful example was the introduction of the gray moth, Cactoblastis cactorum, into Australia to control the prickly pear, Opuntia inermis, which was overrunning vast tracts of land.

handsome low saltbush of arid southwestern United States and Mexico having blue-green prickly-edged leaves often used for Christmas decoration.

Real-world Examples

Take a look at the prickly pear.

Source: Bilingual Edition of TED-Ed Selected Speeches

I was smoothing out any prickly bumps and buffing them to a new shine.

Source: Reader's Digest Anthology

It's heading towards the prickly bush.

Source: Hi! Dog Teacher (Video Version)

But I must warn you, they are a prickly bunch.

Source: Lost Girl Season 2

And when it grow back, it is less soft. More like a prickly beard.

Source: Universal Dialogue for Children's Animation

Then the cold: arms and legs prickly, and finger numbing.

Source: Flowers for Algernon

Yeah, I mean, that's a - it's a huge issue, and it's a prickly issue.

Source: NPR News January 2023 Compilation

After they have all withered and fallen to the ground, we find the green prickly fruit.

Source: British Students' Science Reader

All the hot summer these are turning into sweet nuts, wrapped safely in large, prickly, green balls.

Source: American Original Language Arts Third Volume

Local farmers in northern Algeria are seeking help from Mexican experts to plant prickly pear cactus.

Source: VOA Special November 2019 Collection

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