What does "bristle" mean?
A stiff or coarse hair on a nonhuman mammal or on a plant.
Bristle
/ˈbɹɪsəl/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A stiff or coarse hair on a nonhuman mammal or on a plant.
- Grammar: bristle is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abound, acuminate, aggravate, anger.
- Useful contrasts: calm, deescalate, devoid of.
- Usage evidence: Rebel commanders also bristle at what they say is the Western media’s uncritical reporting of the YPG, much of it focused on the Kurdish group’s embrace of secularism and the presence of young women fighters in its ranks.
How to use "bristle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bristle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bristle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bristle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bristle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bristle" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abound" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bristle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A stiff or coarse hair on a nonhuman mammal or on a plant.
"the bristles of a pig"
- 2 a stiff hair wordnet
- 3 A chaeta: an analogous filament on arthropods, annelids, or other animals.
- 4 a stiff fiber (coarse hair or filament); natural or synthetic wordnet
- 5 The hairs or other filaments that make up a brush, broom, or similar item, typically made from plant cellulose, animal hairs, or synthetic polymers.
Verb
- 1 To rise or stand erect, like bristles. intransitive
"His hair began to bristle with anger when the subject was mentioned."
- 2 react in an offended or angry manner wordnet
- 3 To abound, to be covered with, or to have an abundance of, something, especially something jutting out. intransitive, usually
"the hill of La Haye Sainte bristling with ten thousand bayonets"
- 4 rise up as in fear wordnet
- 5 To be on one's guard or raise one's defenses; to react with fear, suspicion, or distance. intransitive, usually
"The employees bristled at the prospect of working through the holidays."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 have or be thickly covered with or as if with bristles wordnet
- 7 To make (something) rise or stand erect, like bristles. archaic, obsolete, transitive
"The lion is let looſe inthe night, and the Earle hauing a night-gowne caſt ouer his ſhirt, with his girdle and ſword, and ſo comming downe the ſtaires into the court, meeteth with the lion briſtling his haire, and roaring."
- 8 be in a state of movement or action wordnet
- 9 To cause (someone) to be on one's guard or raise one's defenses. transitive, uncommon
"Your blatant attitude always bristles me."
- 10 To fix a bristle or bristles to. rare
"to bristle a thread"
Proper Noun
- 1 Bristol, England (in imitation of the local dialect) humorous, slang
"Correct Way to Speak Bristol."
Antonyms
Example
"Rebel commanders also bristle at what they say is the Western media’s uncritical reporting of the YPG, much of it focused on the Kurdish group’s embrace of secularism and the presence of young women fighters in its ranks."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bristle"?
Common synonyms include: abound, acuminate, aggravate, anger, annoy, arise.
How do you use "bristle" in a sentence?
Rebel commanders also bristle at what they say is the Western media’s uncritical reporting of the YPG, much of it focused on the Kurdish group’s embrace of secularism and the presence of young women fighters in its ranks.
How do you pronounce "bristle"?
Pronounced /ˈbɹɪsəl/.
Etymology
From Middle English bristil, bristel, brustel, from Old English bristl, byrst, *brystl, *byrstel, from Proto-West Germanic *burstilu, diminutive of Proto-West Germanic *bursti, from Proto-Germanic *burstiz (compare Dutch borstel, German Borste (“boar's bristle”), Icelandic burst), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰr̥stís (compare Middle Irish brostaid (“to goad, spur”), Latin fastīgium (“top”), Polish barszcz (“hogweed”)).