Illustration of nettle
- nettle 1
1
: any of a genus (Urtica of the family Urticaceae, the nettle family) of chiefly coarse herbs armed with stinging hairs
… legs, which smarted from the stings of nettles …—
James Stephens
James Stephens2
: any of various prickly or stinging plants other than the true nettles (genus Urtica)
nettled; nettling
ˈnet-liŋ 
ˈne-tᵊl-iŋ
1
: to strike or sting with or as if with nettles
2
: to arouse to sharp but transitory annoyance or anger
Did you know?
If you've ever brushed against nettles, you know those weeds have sharp bristles that can leave you smarting and itching. The painful and irritating rash that nettles cause can last for days, but at least it is a rash with a linguistic silver lining. The discomfort caused by nettles can serve to remind one that the verb nettle is a synonym of irritate. Nettle originated as a plant name that we can trace to the Old English word netel. Eventually, people likened the nagging itch caused by the plant to the nagging aggravation of being annoyed, and nettle became a synonym of vex, peeve, and of course irritate.
Synonyms
Examples of nettle in a Sentence
Verb
The mayor's recent actions have nettled some members of the community.
It nettles him that his younger coworker got a promotion before he did.
Recent Examples on the Web
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2024
After two weeks, revisit the area to ensure all the stinging nettle plants were killed.
5.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2024
WIRED, 6 Nov. 2023
The narrators of these stories are crotchety, easily nettled by the behaviors of other passengers.
—Jasmine Liu, The New Republic, 24 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for nettle 
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Noun
In the wild, noxious stinging nettle is known to create colonies covering an acre or more of earth.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2024
After two weeks, revisit the area to ensure all the stinging nettle plants were killed.
5.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2024
Verb
Above all else, this genre nettles the record labels, who view it as an encroachment on their property.
—WIRED, 6 Nov. 2023
The narrators of these stories are crotchety, easily nettled by the behaviors of other passengers.
—Jasmine Liu, The New Republic, 24 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for nettle
Dictionary Entries Near nettle
Cite this Entry
“Nettle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nettle. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
nettle
noun
net·tle
ˈnet-ᵊl
1
: any plant of the genus Urtica (family Urticaceae, the nettle family)
2
: any of various prickly or stinging plants other than one of the genus Urtica
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