# prickly

> English word · Adjective · frequency rank #27,974

## Definitions
1. Covered with sharp points.
2. Easily irritated.
3. Difficult; complicated; hairy or thorny.

## Etymology
From prickle + -y.

## Easily confused with
- **pricks** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prickly-vs-pricks)
- **princely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prickly-vs-princely)
- **prick** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prick-vs-prickly)
- **picky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/picky-vs-prickly)
- **pickle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pickle-vs-prickly)
- **pricey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pricey-vs-prickly)

## Common misspellings (12)
`pirckly`, `pprickly`, `prcikly`, `pricckly`, `prickkly`, `pricklly`, `pricklyy`, `prickyl`, `priclky`, `prikcly`, `prrickly`, `rpickly`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/prickly