😠 Showing irritation 🦔 Covered with bristles

abristle

9.9

Appearing angry and ready to defend oneself

adjective
/əˈbrɪsəl/

Archaic

: enojado

His tone was abristle with irritation after hearing the unfair criticism.

Examples

She became abristle when the manager questioned her decision in front of the team.
Whenever someone mentions the topic, he goes abristle and refuses to discuss it further.
She looked abristle after hearing the criticism.
His abristle demeanor made everyone uncomfortable.
She became abristle when the manager questioned her decision in front of the team.
His tone was abristle with irritation after hearing the unfair criticism.
Whenever someone mentions the topic, he goes abristle and refuses to discuss it further.

Synonyms

furious

vsabristle

238 3.0

Very angry and ready to shout or complain

is more about guarded readiness and mild anger than extreme rage

irate

vsabristle

23 5.3

Very angry and showing it

is typically less intense and more about defensive readiness

hissy

vsabristle

Informal

12 8.3

Easily upset and reacting too much in a childish way

is more about controlled defensive readiness not childish overreaction

snorty

vsabristle

1 9.7

Feeling annoyed and in a bad mood

is more sharply defensive and shows ready irritation

bristly

vsabristle

6.4

Quick to get annoyed and show irritation

shows readiness to react defensively rather than just being touchy

umbrageous

vsabristle

9.9

Quick to feel offended and show anger

is defensive and ready to bristle rather than only resentful

fumy

vsabristle

Archaic

9.3

Showing quiet anger and annoyance by being silent

is more outwardly ready to react rather than simply sulky

growly

vsabristle

Informal

7.1

Showing irritation and wanting to be left alone

is defensive and ready to bristle rather than merely sulky

Antonyms

calm

735 1.0

Not showing strong feelings and being very still

receptive

52 4.1

Willing to listen to and accept new ideas

How Angry

furious

238 3.0

angry

∞ 1.0

abristle

Archaic

9.9

annoyed

77 1.0

Surface Forms

abristle positive

Morphology

abristle = bristle (semi-transparent) = a + bristle

If a learner knows the figurative verb 'bristle', the sense is accessible, but the a- adjective formation is uncommon and not fully productive.

Etymology

Abristle for an angry or defensive look comes from the same image of hairs standing up on end, as when an animal is ready to protect itself; the word draws on bristle for that stiff-hair picture. That's why abristle can mean 'showing anger or irritation', like a cat with its fur up.