often attributive
1
2
: a woody plant bearing sharp impeding processes (such as prickles or spines)
especially
: hawthorn
3
: something that causes distress or irritation
—often used in the phrase thorn in one's side
4
: the runic letter þ used in Old English and Middle English to represent either of the fricatives \th\ or \t͟h\ and in Icelandic to represent \th\
Examples of thorn in a Sentence
your constant questions are a thorn in my side
Recent Examples on the Web
Reducing healthcare costs has been a thorn in the GOP’s side ever since the party failed to come up with a convincing alternative to the Affordable Care Act a decade ago.
—
Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2026
The Chargers have been a thorn in the Broncos’ side the past two seasons, and that was even true during a grinding win for Denver on Sunday.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Having dumped his bid for reelection this fall under a cloud of controversy related to his federal corruption indictment, Adams was a thorn in Mamdani’s side on his way out of public service, taking a number of actions in the past few weeks directly aimed at stymieing the new mayor’s agenda.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 1 Jan. 2026
The stubbornly high cost of shelter, which makes up about a third of inflation index readings, will continue to be a thorn in the sides of consumers.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorn
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Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2026
The Chargers have been a thorn in the Broncos’ side the past two seasons, and that was even true during a grinding win for Denver on Sunday.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Having dumped his bid for reelection this fall under a cloud of controversy related to his federal corruption indictment, Adams was a thorn in Mamdani’s side on his way out of public service, taking a number of actions in the past few weeks directly aimed at stymieing the new mayor’s agenda.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 1 Jan. 2026
The stubbornly high cost of shelter, which makes up about a third of inflation index readings, will continue to be a thorn in the sides of consumers.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorn
Cite this Entry
“Thorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorn. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thorn
noun1
: a woody plant bearing sharp processes (as prickles or spines)
especially
: hawthorn
2
: a sharp stiff process on a plant
especially
: a stem modified into a short, stiff, and leafless sharp point
3
: something or someone that causes distress or irritation
—often used in the phrase thorn in one's side
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