Adjective: prickly (pricklier,prickliest) pri-k(u-)lee
- Having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.
"a horse with a short prickly mane";
- barbed, barbellate, briary, briery, bristled, bristly, burred, burry, setose, setaceous, spiny, thorny
- Very irritable
"he became prickly and spiteful";
- bristly, splenetic, waspish, spiky
Derived forms: prickliest, pricklier
See also: armed, ill-natured