"prickly" meaning in English

See prickly in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-prickly.wav Forms: pricklier [comparative], prickliest [superlative]
Etymology: prickle + -y Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|prickle|y}} prickle + -y Head templates: {{en-adj|er}} prickly (comparative pricklier, superlative prickliest)
  1. Covered with sharp points. Synonyms (covered with sharp points): thorny, spiny Translations (covered with sharp points): ἀκάνθινος (akánthinos) (Ancient Greek), бодлив (bodliv) (Bulgarian), трънлив (trǎnliv) (Bulgarian), espinós (Catalan), pichlavý (Czech), épineux (French), stachelig (German), dornig (German), Stachel- (German), αγκαθερός (agkatherós) (Greek), spinifer (Latin), tōtara (Maori), pūtiotio (Maori), korotiotio (Maori), tiotio (Maori), koikoi (Maori), kōtaratara (Maori), tuatete (Maori), espinhoso (Portuguese), t'uksi (Quechua), țepos (Romanian), ghimpos (Romanian), spinos (Romanian), колю́чий (koljúčij) (Russian), deilgneach (Scottish Gaelic), droighneach (Scottish Gaelic), espinoso (Spanish), espinudo (Spanish), con espinas (Spanish), taggig (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-prickly-en-adj-fcSx~6~2 Disambiguation of 'covered with sharp points': 97 1 2 Disambiguation of 'covered with sharp points': 97 1 2
  2. (figurative) Easily irritated. Tags: figuratively Categories (topical): Personality Translations (easily irritated): обидчив (obidčiv) (Bulgarian), malhumorós (Catalan), irritable (French), irascible (French), reizbar (German), gereizt (German), kratzbürstig [informal] (German), αγκαθερός (agkatherós) (Greek), drisíneach (Irish), permaloso [masculine] (Italian), suscettibile (Italian), irritadiço (Portuguese), iritabil (Romanian), irascibil (Romanian), supărăcios (Romanian), irritable (Spanish), malhumorado (Spanish), taggig (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-prickly-en-adj-bffr3dnf Disambiguation of Personality: 2 55 25 9 9 Disambiguation of 'easily irritated': 1 96 3
  3. (figurative) Difficult; complicated; hairy or thorny. Tags: figuratively Translations (difficult, hairy): щекотлив (štekotliv) (Bulgarian), heikel (German), kratzbürstig [informal] (German), dificil (Romanian), espinoso (Spanish), difícil (Spanish), peliagudo (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-prickly-en-adj-tcV3ze4F Disambiguation of 'difficult, hairy': 1 3 95
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: prick
Derived forms: prickly ash, prickly comfrey, prickly glasswort, prickly hakea, prickly heat, prickly hornwort, prickly lettuce, prickly nightshade, prickly oak, prickly pear, prickly pear cactus, prickly pine, prickly poison, prickly poppy, prickly saltwort, prickly sculpin, prickly-seeded spinach, prickly shark, prickly shield fern, prickly tang, prickly thrift, western prickly juniper

Adverb

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-prickly.wav Forms: more prickly [comparative], most prickly [superlative]
Etymology: prickle + -y Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|prickle|y}} prickle + -y Head templates: {{en-adv}} prickly (comparative more prickly, superlative most prickly)
  1. In a prickly manner.
    Sense id: en-prickly-en-adv-HXmdS20r

Noun

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-prickly.wav Forms: pricklies [plural]
Etymology: prickle + -y Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|prickle|y}} prickle + -y Head templates: {{en-noun}} prickly (plural pricklies)
  1. (colloquial) Something that gives a pricking sensation; a sharp object. Tags: colloquial Derived forms: cold prickly
    Sense id: en-prickly-en-noun-AX6yatj6 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English terms suffixed with -y Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 7 6 11 1 75 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 9 15 15 6 54 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -y: 13 15 19 4 50

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for prickly meaning in English (13.2kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly ash"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly comfrey"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly glasswort"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly hakea"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly heat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly hornwort"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly lettuce"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly nightshade"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly oak"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly pear"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly pear cactus"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly pine"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly poison"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly poppy"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly saltwort"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly sculpin"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly-seeded spinach"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly shark"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly shield fern"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly tang"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prickly thrift"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "western prickly juniper"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prickle",
        "3": "y"
      },
      "expansion": "prickle + -y",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "prickle + -y",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pricklier",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "prickliest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er"
      },
      "expansion": "prickly (comparative pricklier, superlative prickliest)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "prick"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The prickly pear is a cactus; you have to peel it before eating it to remove the spines and the tough skin.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Covered with sharp points."
      ],
      "id": "en-prickly-en-adj-fcSx~6~2",
      "links": [
        [
          "sharp",
          "sharp"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "thorny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "spiny"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "bodliv",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "бодлив"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "trǎnliv",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "трънлив"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "espinós"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "pichlavý"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "épineux"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "stachelig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "dornig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "Stachel-"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "agkatherós",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "αγκαθερός"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "akánthinos",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "ἀκάνθινος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "spinifer"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "tōtara"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "pūtiotio"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "korotiotio"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "tiotio"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "koikoi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "kōtaratara"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "tuatete"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "espinhoso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "qu",
          "lang": "Quechua",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "t'uksi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "țepos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "ghimpos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "spinos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "koljúčij",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "колю́чий"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "gd",
          "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "deilgneach"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "gd",
          "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "droighneach"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "espinoso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "espinudo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "con espinas"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "covered with sharp points",
          "word": "taggig"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "2 55 25 9 9",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Personality",
          "orig": "en:Personality",
          "parents": [
            "Mind",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He has a prickly personality. He doesn't get along with people because he is easily set off.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Easily irritated."
      ],
      "id": "en-prickly-en-adj-bffr3dnf",
      "links": [
        [
          "irritated",
          "irritated"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) Easily irritated."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "obidčiv",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "обидчив"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "malhumorós"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "irritable"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "irascible"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "reizbar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "gereizt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "tags": [
            "informal"
          ],
          "word": "kratzbürstig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "agkatherós",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "αγκαθερός"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "drisíneach"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "permaloso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "suscettibile"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "irritadiço"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "iritabil"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "irascibil"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "supărăcios"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "irritable"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "malhumorado"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 3",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "easily irritated",
          "word": "taggig"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "It was a prickly situation.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 March 27, Simon Hattenstone, quoting Charlotte Rampling, “Charlotte Rampling: ‘I am prickly. People who are prickly can’t be hurt any more’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN",
          "text": "People who are prickly can’t be hurt any more. They’ve had it. So we just have to be prickly to make sure nobody’s going to come in and grab us.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Difficult; complicated; hairy or thorny."
      ],
      "id": "en-prickly-en-adj-tcV3ze4F",
      "links": [
        [
          "Difficult",
          "difficult"
        ],
        [
          "complicated",
          "complicated"
        ],
        [
          "hairy",
          "hairy"
        ],
        [
          "thorny",
          "thorny"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) Difficult; complicated; hairy or thorny."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 95",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "štekotliv",
          "sense": "difficult, hairy",
          "word": "щекотлив"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 95",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "difficult, hairy",
          "word": "heikel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 95",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "difficult, hairy",
          "tags": [
            "informal"
          ],
          "word": "kratzbürstig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 95",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "difficult, hairy",
          "word": "dificil"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 95",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "difficult, hairy",
          "word": "espinoso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 95",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "difficult, hairy",
          "word": "difícil"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 95",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "difficult, hairy",
          "word": "peliagudo"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-prickly.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav.ogg",
      "text": "Audio"
    }
  ],
  "word": "prickly"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prickle",
        "3": "y"
      },
      "expansion": "prickle + -y",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "prickle + -y",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more prickly",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most prickly",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "prickly (comparative more prickly, superlative most prickly)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2016 March 3, David Thomson, The Guardian",
          "text": "Striding across stage in his bright white jacket, his voice soaring and cracking – like Charlie Parker’s – he was nervous but prickly eloquent, caustic yet encouraging.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In a prickly manner."
      ],
      "id": "en-prickly-en-adv-HXmdS20r"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-prickly.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav.ogg",
      "text": "Audio"
    }
  ],
  "word": "prickly"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prickle",
        "3": "y"
      },
      "expansion": "prickle + -y",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "prickle + -y",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pricklies",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "prickly (plural pricklies)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "7 6 11 1 75",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 15 15 6 54",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 15 19 4 50",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -y",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "cold prickly"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2002, William A. Luckey, Long Ride to Nowhere, page 75",
          "text": "Below, way out on the flat, Blue had seen a light green that could be graze but up here was nothing 'cept all kinds of prickly bushes, and too many of them. Ground-spreading pricklies that reached out to jump at a horse's belly […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016, Richard J. Sklba, Joseph Juknialis, Easter Fire: Fire Starters for the Easter Weekday Homily, page 113",
          "text": "Dad, I need to ride on your shoulders because the pricklies hurt my feet.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Something that gives a pricking sensation; a sharp object."
      ],
      "id": "en-prickly-en-noun-AX6yatj6",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) Something that gives a pricking sensation; a sharp object."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-prickly.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav.ogg",
      "text": "Audio"
    }
  ],
  "word": "prickly"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English adverbs",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms suffixed with -y",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "en:Personality"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "prickly ash"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly comfrey"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly glasswort"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly hakea"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly heat"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly hornwort"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly lettuce"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly nightshade"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly oak"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly pear"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly pear cactus"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly pine"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly poison"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly poppy"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly saltwort"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly sculpin"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly-seeded spinach"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly shark"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly shield fern"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly tang"
    },
    {
      "word": "prickly thrift"
    },
    {
      "word": "western prickly juniper"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prickle",
        "3": "y"
      },
      "expansion": "prickle + -y",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "prickle + -y",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pricklier",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "prickliest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er"
      },
      "expansion": "prickly (comparative pricklier, superlative prickliest)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "prick"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The prickly pear is a cactus; you have to peel it before eating it to remove the spines and the tough skin.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Covered with sharp points."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sharp",
          "sharp"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He has a prickly personality. He doesn't get along with people because he is easily set off.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Easily irritated."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "irritated",
          "irritated"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) Easily irritated."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "It was a prickly situation.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 March 27, Simon Hattenstone, quoting Charlotte Rampling, “Charlotte Rampling: ‘I am prickly. People who are prickly can’t be hurt any more’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN",
          "text": "People who are prickly can’t be hurt any more. They’ve had it. So we just have to be prickly to make sure nobody’s going to come in and grab us.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Difficult; complicated; hairy or thorny."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Difficult",
          "difficult"
        ],
        [
          "complicated",
          "complicated"
        ],
        [
          "hairy",
          "hairy"
        ],
        [
          "thorny",
          "thorny"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) Difficult; complicated; hairy or thorny."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-prickly.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav.ogg",
      "text": "Audio"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "thorny"
    },
    {
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "spiny"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "bodliv",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "бодлив"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "trǎnliv",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "трънлив"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "espinós"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "pichlavý"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "épineux"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "stachelig"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "dornig"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "Stachel-"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "agkatherós",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "αγκαθερός"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "akánthinos",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "ἀκάνθινος"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "spinifer"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "tōtara"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "pūtiotio"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "korotiotio"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "tiotio"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "koikoi"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "kōtaratara"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "tuatete"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "espinhoso"
    },
    {
      "code": "qu",
      "lang": "Quechua",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "t'uksi"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "țepos"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "ghimpos"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "spinos"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "koljúčij",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "колю́чий"
    },
    {
      "code": "gd",
      "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "deilgneach"
    },
    {
      "code": "gd",
      "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "droighneach"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "espinoso"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "espinudo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "con espinas"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "covered with sharp points",
      "word": "taggig"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "obidčiv",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "обидчив"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "malhumorós"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "irritable"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "irascible"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "reizbar"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "gereizt"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "word": "kratzbürstig"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "agkatherós",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "αγκαθερός"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "drisíneach"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "permaloso"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "suscettibile"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "irritadiço"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "iritabil"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "irascibil"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "supărăcios"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "irritable"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "malhumorado"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "easily irritated",
      "word": "taggig"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "štekotliv",
      "sense": "difficult, hairy",
      "word": "щекотлив"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "difficult, hairy",
      "word": "heikel"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "difficult, hairy",
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "word": "kratzbürstig"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "difficult, hairy",
      "word": "dificil"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "difficult, hairy",
      "word": "espinoso"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "difficult, hairy",
      "word": "difícil"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "difficult, hairy",
      "word": "peliagudo"
    }
  ],
  "word": "prickly"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English adverbs",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms suffixed with -y",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "en:Personality"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prickle",
        "3": "y"
      },
      "expansion": "prickle + -y",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "prickle + -y",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more prickly",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most prickly",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "prickly (comparative more prickly, superlative most prickly)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2016 March 3, David Thomson, The Guardian",
          "text": "Striding across stage in his bright white jacket, his voice soaring and cracking – like Charlie Parker’s – he was nervous but prickly eloquent, caustic yet encouraging.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In a prickly manner."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-prickly.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav.ogg",
      "text": "Audio"
    }
  ],
  "word": "prickly"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English adverbs",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms suffixed with -y",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "en:Personality"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "cold prickly"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prickle",
        "3": "y"
      },
      "expansion": "prickle + -y",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "prickle + -y",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pricklies",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "prickly (plural pricklies)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English colloquialisms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2002, William A. Luckey, Long Ride to Nowhere, page 75",
          "text": "Below, way out on the flat, Blue had seen a light green that could be graze but up here was nothing 'cept all kinds of prickly bushes, and too many of them. Ground-spreading pricklies that reached out to jump at a horse's belly […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016, Richard J. Sklba, Joseph Juknialis, Easter Fire: Fire Starters for the Easter Weekday Homily, page 113",
          "text": "Dad, I need to ride on your shoulders because the pricklies hurt my feet.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Something that gives a pricking sensation; a sharp object."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) Something that gives a pricking sensation; a sharp object."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-prickly.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-prickly.wav.ogg",
      "text": "Audio"
    }
  ],
  "word": "prickly"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-24 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (82c8ff9 and f4967a5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.