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
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Recent Examples of hair shirt
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
In an area that used to produce influential Catholic churchmen the way the Dodgers churned out Rookies of the Year, Gomez has amounted to the living equivalent of a hair shirt: a mode of piety that serves no one but the wearer.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
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
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
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
Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
In an area that used to produce influential Catholic churchmen the way the Dodgers churned out Rookies of the Year, Gomez has amounted to the living equivalent of a hair shirt: a mode of piety that serves no one but the wearer.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hair shirt
Noun
-
Read More: The 9 Most Underrated Healthy Foods Flavorings and additives Natural fruit compounds, artificial colorants, and tannins in wine can cause headaches, GI symptoms, or hives in sensitive people.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Time,
22 July 2025
-
His salary: $760,000. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Andy Pages have dealt the Padres numerous headaches.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
Presidents of both parties complained about judges blocking policies nationwide Nationwide injunctions have been a thorn in the side of presidential administrations of both parties.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
22 July 2025
-
Those critics may or may not prove to be a thorn in O’Brien’s side.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Last month, Los Angeles city officials declared these properties a public nuisance because of their failure to take action to clean up debris.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
-
The cicadas swarming in and around Cincinnati can be a nuisance.—
Chad Murphy,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Other operators have expressed similar frustration, and some members of Congress have signaled support for an overhaul.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
22 July 2025
-
The rise of ghost jobs has been causing real frustration for job seekers.—
Kara Dennison,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
The details for Alphabet will be necessary, as the stock has been held back by worries that artificial intelligence (AI) will disrupt their search business.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
-
Optimism about the power of technology and innovation was mixed with worries about geopolitics and the state of civil society.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hair shirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hair%20shirt. Accessed 28 Jul. 2025.
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