Bristley

The adjective 'bristly' describes something covered with short, stiff, and sharp hairs or bristles, resembling the texture of a brush. This texture can be physically felt and sometimes visually observed. It often implies a roughness or prickliness, not necessarily causing pain but certainly not smooth or soft. This characteristic can be found on various surfaces, ranging from animal fur and plants to specific manufactured items. The term evokes a sense of rigidity and potentially, an implication of being unwelcoming or difficult to handle, as something bristly might snag or irritate upon contact. The condition is often linked with animals or plants, and, sometimes, human behaviors and mannerisms.

Bristley meaning with examples

• The old boar's hide was deeply scarred and covered in bristly, coarse hairs, evidence of countless battles fought in the dense undergrowth. The children were a bit wary to touch him, imagining how the bristly fur would feel against their hands, and they did not try. He remained, silently regarding them from his pen, a relic of the wild.
• As the botanist examined the plant under a magnifying glass, she noticed the leaves were surprisingly bristly, unlike the smooth, waxy foliage of its close relatives. The hairs offered protection from herbivores in the arid environment of the mountains where it thrived, a defensive characteristic.
• The mechanic’s hands, perpetually roughened by years of work, felt bristly against the polished chrome of the car's engine. He worked relentlessly to achieve a professional finish, yet the skin remained an example of his hard work.
• The sculptor’s initial sketches, marked by bold charcoal strokes, exhibited a bristly texture that captured the dynamism of the envisioned form. The artists used this texture for the creation of life and vitality to draw the eye.