hair shirt

noun

Definition of hair shirtnext
as in headache
something that is a source of irritation the constant need to cut costs was a hair shirt, but one that the theater company had to live with

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hair shirt And that gave birth to the worst Wolverine, which also gave birth to the idea that the suit is a hair shirt. — Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024 Few people’s utopia involves wearing a hair shirt and giving up culinary pleasures; utopia and sacrifice are, for many, antonyms. — Jan Dutkiewicz, The New Republic, 20 Oct. 2022 The novel aesthetic of Art Nouveau wrapped modernism in the garb of pleasure, instead of in the hair shirt of social obligation and moral uplift. — Regina Cole, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2023 Four years later, an America-first cultural crackdown has freed the Met to cast off the hair shirt of reckoning and celebrate its diverse holdings in a spirit of defiance. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 30 June 2025 Erin Maglaque’s review of a new book on women and sound in Renaissance Italy peels back the layers of a less-talked about form of religious asceticism and control, one where there are no hair shirts or decade-long fasts, just… silence. — Michelle Weber, Longreads, 15 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hair shirt
  1. headache
  2. thorn
  3. nuisance
  4. frustration
  5. worry
Noun
  • Intense exercise on a sizzling day can lead to extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping and dehydration, all symptoms of exertional heat illness.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome causes fatigue, fever, muscle aches, abdominal problems, headaches, chills and dizziness in the early stages, and late symptoms include chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath and lungs filling with fluid.
    — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of headache
Noun
  • Yamal was a thorn in Saudi Arabia’s side, drifting infield to unleash shots from distance but also peppering the penalty area with wicked deliveries from the right flank.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • An individual bush can grow up to 15 feet high and 40 feet long, with thick stems, also known as canes, marked by sharp, hooked thorns.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2026
Definition of thorn
Noun
  • This is a nuisance for many people who are using generative AI purely to draft text.
    — Michael Leone, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • The city of Fort Worth is asking a Tarrant County court to declare an East Lancaster Avenue motel a common nuisance, and force its ownership to fix what the city alleges are years of persistent criminal activity.
    — Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
Definition of nuisance
Noun
  • This would let traffic flow, which is so necessary for the vitality and economy of Chicago; provide a safer route for bikers; and ease the frustration of all of those on the streets of Chicago.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Spence also appears to be absorbing the blame for broader failures, with Thomas Tuchel’s touchline frustrations obvious and — for a player still establishing himself at this level — that scrutiny is unlikely to help.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of frustration
Noun
  • Those worries make sense, and understanding how bird flu spreads and what to watch for is the best way to protect your flock and yourself.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
  • Elevation invites visitors to carve wishes, worries, and hopes into the church pews.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of worry

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hairs
hair shirt
hair shirts
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Cite this Entry

“Hair shirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hair%20shirt. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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