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nettlesome

American  
[net-l-suhm] / ˈnɛt l səm /

adjective

  1. causing irritation, vexation, or annoyance.

    to cope with a nettlesome situation.

  2. easily provoked or annoyed.

    to become nettlesome over trivial matters.
nettlesome British  
/ ˈnɛtəlsəm /

adjective

  1. causing or susceptible to irritation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of nettlesome

First recorded in 1760–70; nettle + -some 1

Vocabulary lists containing nettlesome

Irritable

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Jo Jo’s brothers Hans and Franz are putting the “bro” in “brothers” and determined to give Desiree’s brother a run for the title of Most Nettlesome Relative.

From Time • Feb. 22, 2016

The cheese plate contained three selections from Valley Shepherd Creamery, of Long Valley: Nettlesome and Tewksbury, both cows’ milk cheeses, and my favorite, Pepato, a mild aged sheep’s milk cheese with bits of peppercorn.

From New York Times • Aug. 26, 2012

Nettlesome neighbors are putting up roadblocks to expansion.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.