bristle

American  

[bris-uhl] / ˈbrɪs əl /

noun

1. one of the short, stiff, coarse hairs of certain animals, especially hogs, used extensively in making brushes.

2. anything resembling these hairs.

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verb (used without object)

bristled, bristling

1. to stand or rise stiffly, like bristles.

2. to erect the bristles, as an irritated animal (often followed byup ).

   The hog bristled up.

3. to become rigid with anger or irritation.

   The man bristled when I asked him to move.

4. to be thickly set or filled with something suggestive of bristles.

   The plain bristled with bayonets. The project bristled with difficulties.

5. to be visibly roused or stirred (usually followed byup ).

verb (used with object)

bristled, bristling

1. to erect like bristles.

   The rooster bristled his crest.

2. to furnish with a bristle or bristles.

3. to make bristly.

bristle British  

/ ˈbrɪsəl /

noun

1. any short stiff hair of an animal or plant

2. something resembling these hair

   toothbrush bristle

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verb

1. to stand up or cause to stand up like bristles

   the angry cat's fur bristled

2. to show anger, indignation, etc

   she bristled at the suggestion

3. (intr) to be thickly covered or set

   the target bristled with arrows

4. (intr) to be in a state of agitation or movement

   the office was bristling with activity

5. (tr) to provide with a bristle or bristles

Other Word Forms

• bristleless adjective
• bristlelike adjective
• bristly adjective
• nonbristled adjective
• unbristled adjective

Etymology

Origin of bristle

before 1000; Middle English bristel, equivalent to brist ( Old English byrst bristle, cognate with German Borste, Old Norse burst ) + -el diminutive suffix

Explanation

A bristle is a stiff hair — the kind men shave off their face or the kind badgers have all over. Bristle also means to get angry. Tell an animal rights activist you use a badger's bristle shaving brush and you'll get the idea. The emotional meaning of to bristle comes from the fact that most animal bristles used by man are so-called erectile hairs — the ones that stand up on the neck or along the back of animal when it's angry or surprised. A common word associated with bristle is hackle, another name for such erectile animal hairs. Thus the saying "to get one's hackles up," which is pretty much identical to bristling.

Example Sentences

And if interviewers bristle at questions or dodge them, that could be a red flag.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Many residents are thrilled by the promising tool, but others bristle at the idea of manipulating nature.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

"But no, the war is still ongoing," said the strong-armed baker, sporting a short bristle of beard.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

It was perhaps inevitable that judges would bristle at a government spokeswoman deriding them as hacks.

From Slate • Feb. 18, 2026

The words of eminent physicists of the era bristle with intellectual despair.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• bridle
• fume
• seethe