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I'm looking for either a word or phrase of when a rock has been weathered by sea water and has become very rough - to the point where its texture is so dangerous and pointy that it just cuts through flesh like butter. I want to use this description to ultimately describe a person. That they've become such that coming close to them you're so easily hurt.

Sample: "Now there is something different whereby them attacking me they actually draw blood from themselves. I've become [word]."

"Bristle" is not strong enough. "Caustic" connotes something acidic, which I don't want. Maybe something between "barbed" and "jagged" might work, but I was wondering if anyone had a better idea.

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    Sea glass and beach pebbles are smooth as eggshells. Sounds like you have a set idea of what you want. Keep looking.
    – Yosef Baskin
    Aug 8, 2022 at 23:23
  • @YosefBaskin a picture might help
    – Bn.F76
    Aug 8, 2022 at 23:48
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    "weathered" is commonly used to describe textures and surfaces. Is there a reason you don't want it?
    – Stuart F
    Aug 9, 2022 at 8:21

3 Answers 3

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There are a few. Scabrous may suit the case:

rough to the touch: such as
a: having small raised dots, scales, or points a scabrous leaf
b: covered with raised, roughened, or unwholesome patches
scabrous paint
scabrous skin

This has the added benefit of also meaning

dealing with suggestive, indecent, or scandalous theme

MW

Synonyms of scabrous, or more specifically of craggy may be preferable, including, rough-hewn, scraggy or asperous.

Theasaurus.com

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There are several words which you might apply to sharp rocks.
jagged, ragged, serrated, saw-toothed, toothed, shredding.
Or you might consider a descriptive phrase such as "like shark's teeth", "knife like".

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If you want to describe someone hardened by life, you can use words like "rugged" (which, besides meaning tough and unrelenting, also means "having a broken, rocky, and uneven surface" and "harsh and threatening in manner or appearance"), "hard-bitten," or "cast-iron." All these words denote long-held toughness.

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    None of these carry the idea of being "dangerous and pointy" that the question was after.
    – KillingTime
    Aug 9, 2022 at 6:09
  • True, but I believe the words I have suggested do connote a sense of being weathered by seawater (or life, figuratively). Plus, they are often used to describe people, for whom the questioner wants the word to describe.
    – JY WS
    Aug 9, 2022 at 7:42

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