As the boat sailed on westwards, the captain looked back at how far they had come, and felt a tear prick the corner of his eye.
Source: tatoeba (877488)
Prick
/pɹɪk/
Synonyms for "prick" (355 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (71)
Strong matches (107)
discolordiscolorationdissuadedistressdogdotdrilldrivedroveearmarkegg onempierceengraveengravingenterexciteexcruciateexhortfesterfix
Show 74 more words
fleckflickflogfrecklefretfulgurant paingadgadflygallgashgirdle paingive paingnawgnawinggoadgoregougegouge outgrategravinggrievegrindgripegripinghackharrowhatchhave an edgeherdhitchholehoneycombhurthurt the feelingsimpaleimpressimprintinciteinflameinflict painirritateitchjabjagjotjumping painkill by incheskindlekinklaceratelancelancinating painlashlentigolinemaculamake a markmarkmark offmark outmarkingmartyrmartyrizemolemottlemucronebneedlenevusnibnicknipnotchnudge
Related words (177)
oxgoadpainpangparoxysmpatchpencilpenetratepepperperforateperforationpiercepinchpinholepinkpinprickpiquepointpokepolka dotprickle
Show 110 more words
printprodprolong the agonypromptpropelpukepunchpunch cattlepunctuatepunctureput to torturerackrankleraspratreamream outriddleride herd onround uprowelrubrun throughscarscarificationscarifyscorescotchscratchscratchingscumsealseamseizuresharp painshepherdshitshitheadshootshootingshooting painsicsignalskewerskunkslashslitsmartsnakesnotspasmspearspeckspecklespikespitsplashsplotchspotspurstabstabbing painstainstampstickstigmastigmatizestimulatestingstinkerstitchstrawberry markstreakstriatestripetaptattootattoo markthrillthroesticktick offtingletiptittletoadtormentormenttorturetracetransfixtranspiercetrepantrephineturdtweaktwingetwisttwist the knifetwitchunderlineunderscoreurgewatermarkwhipwhiplashwoundwranglewrenchwring
Noun(37 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: cock, dick, aculeus, acuminate, acumination.
- Sentence evidence is available for prick, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "prick".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "prick"
Keep "prick" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "prick" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "prick", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "prick" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
40 entriesShowing 16 of 40 words.
More specific
14 entriesCollocations
11 entriesneedle prickpinprickprick of painprick testprickerpricklinesspricklingpricklysharp pricksmall prickthorn prick
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
11 entriesTranslations
29 translations across 19 languages.
Albanian
2 entries- ngul verb (to pierce)
- shpoj verb (to pierce)
Ancient Greek
1 entries- κεντέω verb (to pierce)
Arabic
1 entries- قْرص verb (to pierce)
Bulgarian
2 entries- пробивам verb (to pierce)
- убождам verb (to pierce)
Dutch
1 entries- prikken verb (to pierce)
Esperanto
1 entries- piki verb (to pierce)
Finnish
1 entries- pistää verb (to pierce)
French
1 entries- piquer verb (to pierce)
Galician
1 entries- picar verb (to pierce)
German
1 entries- stechen verb (to pierce)
Latin
1 entries- pungō verb (to pierce)
Māori
1 entries- oka verb (to pierce)
Quechua
2 entries- kichkay verb (to pierce)
- t'uksiy verb (to pierce)
Romanian
4 entries- ciupi verb (to pierce)
- pișca verb (to pierce)
- împunge verb (to pierce)
- înțepa verb (to pierce)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- stob verb (to pierce)
Spanish
4 entries- empuyar (disused) verb (to pierce)
- espichar verb (to pierce)
- pinchar verb (to pierce)
- pungir verb (to pierce)
Thai
1 entries- ทิ่ม verb (to pierce)
Walloon
1 entries- piker verb (to pierce)
Zyphe
1 entries- dong verb (to pierce)
Sample sentences
45 total sentences available.
What a prick!
Source: tatoeba (1907644)
He's a real prick.
Source: tatoeba (2650139)
It's alright. This injection won't hurt. It will just prick a little.
Source: tatoeba (2698847)
Showing 4 of 45 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "prick"?
Closest matches include cock, dick, aculeus, acuminate, acumination.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "prick"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.