prickly person

Meanings

1. 1phrasecountableinformal

   Someone who is easily annoyed or offended and often reacts sharply to other people.

   Grammar: Countable phrase: you can say 'a prickly person' or 'two prickly people'; 'people' is the usual plural, not 'persons'.

   Patterns

   • a prickly person
   • be a prickly person
   • come across as a prickly person

   My new boss is a prickly person, so I choose my words carefully.

   He can seem like a prickly person at first, but he is kind once you know him.

   She was a prickly person in meetings and rarely accepted suggestions.

2. 2phrasecountableinformal

   Someone who is hard to get close to because they keep others at a distance.

   Grammar: Used with 'a' in the singular; the adjective 'prickly' describes the person's manner, not their appearance.

   Patterns

   • a rather prickly person
   • a prickly person to deal with

   As a teenager he was a prickly person who trusted almost no one.

   She is a prickly person to deal with on the phone, but in person she is warmer.

Common combinations

a bit of a prickly person

Our neighbor is a bit of a prickly person before his morning coffee.

come across as a prickly person

She comes across as a prickly person, though she means no harm.

a prickly person to deal with

He is a prickly person to deal with when deadlines are close.

seem like a prickly person

At first he seemed like a prickly person, but he was just shy.

a prickly personality

Her prickly personality hides a lot of insecurity.

Synonyms and how they differ

irritable

Describes someone who gets annoyed quickly; it focuses on mood, while 'prickly person' also suggests a defensive, distant manner.

touchy

Very close in meaning, but 'touchy' stresses being easily offended, often about one particular topic.

grumpy

Suggests a bad mood, often temporary; a prickly person may be like that all the time.

standoffish

Focuses on keeping distance from people rather than on snapping at them.

Opposites

Word family

prickly adjective

Easily annoyed, or covered with sharp points.

prickle noun

A small sharp point on a plant or an animal.

prickliness noun

The quality of being easily annoyed or hard to approach.

Commonly confused: prickly person or picky person?

Practice

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