Bristly

//ˈbɹɪsli// adj

adj ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Covered with bristles.
  2. 2
    Easily antagonized; irascible; prone to bristling.
Adjective
  1. 1
    having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc. wordnet
  2. 2
    very irritable wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
barbellateacanaceousaculeolatebarbedbarbellatebearded

Example

More examples

"Then shoreward sends beeves twenty to the rest, / a hundred boars, of broad and bristly chine, / a hundred lambs and ews and gladdening gifts of wine."

Etymology

From Middle English bristli, brustly, equivalent to bristle + -y.

Related phrases

bristly Matilija poppybristly bellflowerbristly foxtailbristly hawksbeardbristly mousepainted bristly mouse

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.