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Added 9 October 2026

spiky

/ˈspaɪki/ adjective

In Latin: spīnōsus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about spiky at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Of a plant: producing spikes (“ears (as of corn); inflorescences in which sessile flowers are arranged on unbranched elongated axes”).
Of a plant part: resembling a spike of a plant (see above).

adjective

Having one or more spikes; spiny.
Resembling spikes: erect and having sharp points; spikelike.
Of a person or their nature: difficult to deal with; abrasive, hostile, unfriendly.
a spiky personality

Origin

From spike (“kind of inflorescence in which sessile flowers are arranged on an unbranched elongated axis”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense “having the quality of”). Spike is derived from Middle English spik, spike (“ear of grain; clove of garlic; plant having spikes; plant of the genus Valeriana, especially Valeriana officinalis; plant of the genus Lavandula, lavender”), from Latin spīca (“ear, head, or spike of grain; plant spike”) (feminine) (also rarely spīcum (neuter) and spīcus (masculine)), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *spey- (“long; sharp; thin”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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