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
Relevance
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
Talking about wedding vows was like donning a hair shirt.
—Leslie Jamison, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024
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
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
This is a coming-of-age story in which the transition from adolescence to adulthood is akin to swapping one hair shirt for another.
—Jake Cline, Washington Post, 27 May 2022
Aiden needs neither hair shirt nor whip to self-flagellate, and Simone writes of depression with a visceral ache.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 11 Nov. 2021
To toughen it up, Ford resorted to that longtime crossover hair shirt, the roof rack.
—Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 6 July 2020
Asking billions of people to don an unwashed hair shirt wouldn’t work; the solution would have to be rapid technological innovation.
—Jon Gertner, Wired, 1 Apr. 2020
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Talking about wedding vows was like donning a hair shirt.
—Leslie Jamison, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024
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
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
This is a coming-of-age story in which the transition from adolescence to adulthood is akin to swapping one hair shirt for another.
—Jake Cline, Washington Post, 27 May 2022
Aiden needs neither hair shirt nor whip to self-flagellate, and Simone writes of depression with a visceral ache.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 11 Nov. 2021
To toughen it up, Ford resorted to that longtime crossover hair shirt, the roof rack.
—Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 6 July 2020
Asking billions of people to don an unwashed hair shirt wouldn’t work; the solution would have to be rapid technological innovation.
—Jon Gertner, Wired, 1 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hair shirt
Noun
-
Avantree Cord Organizer $7 at Amazon Cord clutter is a universal travel headache.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Mar. 2025
-
While blazes like this one can be a major headache for people, fire is also a critical part of South Florida’s ecosystem — particularly the Everglades.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In the past two seasons, the Nuggets have been a thorn in the Lakers' side, being eliminated by Denver in the playoffs.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Property taxes are a thorn in the side of homeowners.—
Maddie McGay,
USA TODAY,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In a meeting that month which Dahl recorded, Turner referred to Williams as a nuisance who had already been dealt with.—
Ronan Farrow,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
-
However, residents argue that the alligator, who had been sunning beside a pond on the property for more than a decade, was not a nuisance but that his fate was in fact decided by the new management, who thought the wild animal posed a risk to residents.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA TODAY,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Kurt’s key takeaways Taking a few minutes to protect your data and devices today can save you hours of frustration, heartache and financial loss tomorrow.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
22 Mar. 2025
-
In one post, a former colleague expresses frustration that the book seems to take credit for his efforts at the company.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Last Friday, James Bergeron, the acting under secretary at the Education Department, sent a letter to colleges attempting to allay their worries about the layoffs.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Some Tesla shareholders have expressed worry about the situation.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hair shirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hair%20shirt. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share