to hackle
8.0
To make hairs on an animal's neck stand up when it is scared or angry
- verb
- /ˈhækəl/
:
erizar
- The cat began hackling when it saw the dog approach.
Examples
-
A sudden noise in the dark made his skin hackle with fear.
-
When threatened, some birds hackle their feathers to appear larger.
-
Don't hackle at me like that!
-
The cat hackled at the dog approaching its territory.
-
The cat's hackles rose as it spotted the approaching dog.
-
When the thunderstorm started, the horse's hackles rose in fear.
-
The sudden loud noise made her hackles rise in alarm.
Synonyms
to raise hackles
vsto hackle
1
7.9
To make someone angry or upset
makes hairs or feathers rise as a physical fear or alarm reaction
Antonyms
Compounds
saddle hackle
- Specialized
9.9
A long narrow feather from a chicken's back used for making fishing flies or decoration
How Alarming
to terrify
148
3.2
148
3.2
to frighten
540
1.0
540
1.0
to hackle
8.0
to alarm
133
1.9
133
1.9
to startle
131
3.7
131
3.7
to surprise
∞
1.0
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Etymology
To hackle means to make the hairs or feathers stand up, the same image behind the noun 'hackles' that rise with fear or anger. So to hackle someone or an animal is to cause them to show alarm or look bigger.