Prickly vs Thorny - What's the difference?
prickly | thorny |
Covered with sharp points.
Easily irritated.
difficult, hairy, complicated
having thorns or spines
troublesome or vexatious
* Shakespeare
aloof and irritable
* Louisa May Alcott, Good Wives
As adjectives the difference between prickly and thorny
is that prickly is covered with sharp points while thorny is having thorns or spines.prickly
English
Adjective
(er)- Prickly pear is a cactus, you have to peel it before eating it to remove the spines and the tough skin.
- He has a prickly personality. He doesn't get along with people because he is easily set off.
Synonyms
* (covered with sharp points) thorny, spinyDerived terms
* prickly comfrey * prickly glasswort * prickly heat * prickly saltwort * prickly sculpin * prickly shield fern * prickly tangthorny
English
Adjective
(er)- the steep and thorny way to heaven
- 'Come, Jo, don't be thorny . After studying himself to a skeleton all the week, a fellow deserves petting, and ought to get it.'