prickliness
State of irritability
Prickliness is the quality of being covered in sharp points or spines: the prickliness of a cactus, the prickliness of a hedgehog's quills.
More often, prickliness describes a person's tendency toward irritability or defensiveness: His prickliness made him difficult to work with.
A prickly person is quick to take offense, easily provoked by minor slights.
Sharp plant projections
- spinesStiff, pointed projections
- barbsSharp points or jibes
- needlesSlender pointed instruments
- burrsHooked seed coverings
thistles · nettles · brambles · cacti · rose thorns · holly · hedgehog · porcupine
Quality of having spikes
- bristlinessQuality of having stiff hairs
- scratchinessRough, irritating texture quality
- roughnessUneven surface quality
- spikinessHaving sharp projections
coarseness · jaggedness · burrlike · stiffness · needlelike · barbed · stubbly · abrasiveness
Proneness to agitation
- grumpinessBad-tempered disposition
- testinessEasily provoked irritation
- crankinessIll-tempered disposition
- irascibilityTendency to anger easily
peevishness · grouchiness · tetchiness · snappishness · cantankerousness · petulance · surliness · querulousness
Coarse or harsh quality
- brusquenessAbrupt, rude directness
- coldnessLow temperature state
- gruffnessHarsh, rough manner
- antagonismActive opposition or hostility
disdain · standoffishness · defensiveness · aloofness · unfriendliness · curtness · sharpness · thorniness
Readiness to feel slighted
- thin-skinnedEasily hurt by remarks
- oversensitivityExcessive emotional reactivity
- hypersensitivityExaggerated response to stimuli
- defensivenessResistance to perceived attack
reactivity · vulnerability · taking offense · bristling · pique · umbrage · huffiness · quick to anger
thorns
Sharp plant projections
burrs · thistles · nettles · brambles · cacti · rose thorns · holly · hedgehog · porcupine · sea urchin
thorniness
Quality of having spikes
- bristlinessQuality of having stiff hairs
- scratchinessRough, irritating texture quality
- roughnessUneven surface quality
spikiness · coarseness · jaggedness · burrlike · stiffness · needlelike · barbed · stubbly · abrasiveness · raspiness
irritability
Proneness to agitation
- grumpinessBad-tempered disposition
- testinessEasily provoked irritation
- crankinessIll-tempered disposition
irascibility · peevishness · grouchiness · tetchiness · snappishness · cantankerousness · petulance · surliness · querulousness · crossness
abrasiveness
Coarse or harsh quality
- brusquenessAbrupt, rude directness
- coldnessLow temperature state
- gruffnessHarsh, rough manner
antagonism · disdain · standoffishness · defensiveness · aloofness · unfriendliness · curtness · sharpness · thorniness · acerbity
touchiness
Readiness to feel slighted
- thin-skinnedEasily hurt by remarks
- oversensitivityExcessive emotional reactivity
- hypersensitivityExaggerated response to stimuli
defensiveness · reactivity · vulnerability · taking offense · bristling · pique · umbrage · huffiness · quick to anger · raw nerves
- touchtouch, feel, touching, caress, feeling
- roughnessroughness, coarseness, grittiness, bumpiness, abrasiveness
- touch sensationstouch, roughness, smoothness, softness, hardness
- defenseswall, walls, fence, gate, barrier
- sensationstaste, touch, smell, sound, pain
- sensitivitysensitivity, sensitive, hypersensitivity, oversensitivity, hypersensitive
pricklinesswarmth
Heat you feel
friendliness · approachability · affability · geniality · amiability
pricklinesspatience
Calm during delays
geniality · affability · equanimity · imperturbability · forbearance
pricklinesssmoothness
Freedom from irregularity
softness · silkiness · plushness · sleekness · suppleness
prickly, prick, prickle, pricked, pricking, pricklier, prickliest, pricker, pricklies