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spinoso

thorny

adjective spee-NOH-zoh Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Textures

Also means

tricky

Usage Note

Spinoso agrees in gender and number: spinosa, spinosi, spinose. Literally it describes plants with thorns, but the figurative use — una questione spinosa ('a thorny issue') — is just as common. Do not confuse with pungente (stinging, prickly to the touch), which implies sharpness more than the presence of actual spines.

Examples

"È un argomento spinoso da affrontare in pubblico."

Natural Translation

It is a thorny subject to address in public.

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