Definition of Prickly

Adjective: prickly (pricklier,prickliest) pri-k(u-)lee

Very irritable
"he became prickly and spiteful";
- bristly, splenetic, waspish
Having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.
"a horse with a short prickly mane";
- barbed, barbellate, briary, briery, bristled, bristly, burred, burry, setose, setaceous, spiny, thorny