Very irritable "he became prickly and spiteful" - bristly, splenetic, waspish
Having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc. - barbed, barbellate, briary, briery, bristled, bristly, burred, burry, setose, setaceous, spiny, thorny
Derived forms: pricklier, prickliest
See also: armed, ill-natured, prickle, prickliness