thistly

as in prickly
having leaves or branches which are likely to cause a scratch caught her sleeve on a thistly bush

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thistly
Adjective
  • And who should pick up Agathe from the ferry but a handsome, prickly Englishman, Oliver (Charlie Anson), the great-great-great-great-grandnephew of Ms. Austen herself.
    Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
  • No, the show’s appeal lies in its complicated depiction of bickering and bruising sisters, with prickly performances from Meghann Fahy and Milly Alcock giving the series an alluring and distinguishing jolt.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • The thunder rolled and lightning danced among the jagged peaks as a summer rainstorm soaked the alpine meadows of California’s Sierra Nevada.
    Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
  • In addition to more glaciers (circa 300) than any other national park in the Lower 48 states, North Cascades boasts dozens of jagged snowy peaks, wild rivers, tranquil lakes, and among the highest biodiversity of any U.S. park.
    Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Hepburn’s thorny performance veers away from her typical sparkling ingenue presence toward something more brittle (watching Holly Golightly restrain herself from cursing out a precocious, irritating child delights).
    Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo, Footwear News, 26 May 2025
  • The relationship has long proved thorny due to strained political ties during the latter years of the reign of Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe.
    Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Everything was soft to touch except the scratchy instrument binnacle.
    Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
  • Pavement’s early music was scratchy and eccentric, built on guitars that gnawed and eked their way through songs.
    Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thistly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thistly. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!