1. the quality of having sharp points or spines that can pierce or irritate
2. irritability or touchiness in behavior or attitude

Examples

• The prickliness of the cactus made it difficult to handle without gloves.
• Rose bushes are known for their prickliness along the stems.
• His prickliness during meetings made colleagues hesitant to share ideas.
• The teacher’s prickliness increased as the day wore on.
• She apologized for her prickliness, explaining she was having a bad day.
• The prickliness of the thistle protected it from grazing animals.