as in shaggy
covered with or as if with hair
although pigs look hairless, they're actually bristly creatures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bristly
Called Utah arrays, they are made of hard silicon and look a bit like the bristly part of a hairbrush.
—
WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022
Thirteen Lives reminds me of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 for its bristly character moments, people caught in extremis.
—Joshua Rothkopf, EW.com, 6 Aug. 2022
Sandstrom’s most recent Squonk is a hairy, wart-covered monster with bristly, unkempt fur, fangs, and ears that curve down submissively.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 19 Apr. 2020
Often, as a bonus, a librarian or teacher will lean in to give Daisy a kiss on her bristly snout, to general glee from the young audience.
—Nora McGreevy, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for bristly
WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022
Thirteen Lives reminds me of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 for its bristly character moments, people caught in extremis.
—Joshua Rothkopf, EW.com, 6 Aug. 2022
Sandstrom’s most recent Squonk is a hairy, wart-covered monster with bristly, unkempt fur, fangs, and ears that curve down submissively.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 19 Apr. 2020
Often, as a bonus, a librarian or teacher will lean in to give Daisy a kiss on her bristly snout, to general glee from the young audience.
—Nora McGreevy, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for bristly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristly
Adjective
-
The lab mice, which have been modified to have shaggy fur and golden coats, are a demonstration of the kind of gene edits that the company hopes to perform on a much larger scale, modifying Asian elephants to more closely resemble their woolly mammoth ancestors.—
Matt Reynolds,
WIRED,
4 Mar. 2025
-
It was filled with spare, ’60s shapes and saturated colors and included a trenchcoat done in aubergine, bordeaux and beige, shaggy bouclé coats and soft hobo bags.—
WWD,
WWD,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Flying your favorite spacecraft is as simple as plopping down in the captain’s chair to engage in some hairy dogfights and clandestine patrols over strange worlds or the inky cosmic blackness as the gameplay shifts from a standard FPS to a third-person perspective.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
5 Mar. 2025
-
See 6 finalists for new position Starbucks is removing some drinks from its menu in March: See the full list Man busted in airport smuggling cocaine under toupee: Watch video of hairy situation Will an asteroid hit Earth?—
James Powel,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Mattifying Primer $36 Sephora This Fenty primer has a transparent, silky texture that glides onto the skin and doesn’t leave a white cast—something that can’t be said about many other primers.—
Brigitt Earley,
Glamour,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Squalane oil, glycerin and peptides reduce fine lines and improve skin texture while delivering silky hydration and boosting your nighttime skincare routine.—
Celia Shatzman,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bristly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristly. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share