bristly

[ bris-lee ]

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

• bristli·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bristly¹

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

Example Sentences

Fury has grown a bristly beard, which he says provides added strength.

From BBC

But despite its bristly concept, “The End” largely forgoes any direct images of annihilation, settling into a vast underground bunker with seemingly endless resources well after most humans have perished.

From Salon

The other carried a bristly stick, with which they used to scratch the cephalopods’ sensitive skin.

From Los Angeles Times

The observed species are classified as baleen whales, which have a large bristly whalebone at the front of their mouth to filter feed, instead of teeth.

From BBC

Lit by a headlamp, the hamster-size bat has a tuft of bristly hair under its nose and tiny eyes tucked close to its ears.

From Science Magazine