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Synonyms

bristly

American  
[bris-lee] / ˈbrɪs li /

adjective

bristlier, bristliest

  1. covered or rough with bristles.

  2. like or resembling bristles.

  3. easily antagonized; irascible.

    a bristly person with few friends.

Other Word Forms

  • bristliness noun

Etymology

Origin of bristly

First recorded in 1585–95; bristle + -y 1

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.