spikiness
- noun
- /ˈspaɪkɪnəs/
- The manager's spikiness during the meeting created an uncomfortable atmosphere among the team.
Examples
-
Apart altogether from McMoran's spikiness, she had never been happy in the department, as later she confessed.
Fiction book (1998) -
His constant spikiness made it difficult for anyone to approach him without feeling tense.
-
She often spoke with spikiness, which left her friends unsure of how to respond.
Synonyms
A sharp quality in someone's voice that shows irritation or tension
Being easily annoyed or quick to become angry
A habit of speaking in a harsh, critical way
A harsh, sudden way of speaking that sounds unfriendly
A short, direct way of speaking that often seems rude
A rough, unfriendly way of speaking or acting
A tendency to become easily annoyed and impatient
A sharp, bitter way of speaking that hurts people
A habit of giving short, angry answers when annoyed
A short, slightly rude way of speaking to someone
Speech or writing that is sharply critical and makes people feel bad
A harsh tone in speech or writing that hurts people
A sharp, bitter way of speaking that hurts people
Speech or writing that is sharp and often hurts people
A person who is easily annoyed and speaks in short, sharp words
A tendency to become easily annoyed and show anger
Antonyms
How Abrasive
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Spikiness comes from spike ('sharp point') plus -ness ('quality'), and a helpful way to remember it is to picture speech with many small sharp points—short, cutting comments. So, spikiness describes a brusque or easily irritated manner or tone.