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

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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 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 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 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
  1. headache
  2. thorn
  3. nuisance
  4. frustration
  5. worry
Noun
  • AutoCamp is also a short walk to the main drag, sparing guests the headache of the limited parking around shops and restaurants.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Friday provided a brief but clear reminder of what kind of headache that could be for opposing defensive coordinators.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of headache
Noun
  • Their kickers’ health and performance for years have been one of the thorns in the team’s side.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • With hill country roots and dangerous charm, Zak has been raised since birth to carry on the Farley racing dynasty, a thorn in the Whitlock family’s side.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of thorn
Noun
  • The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued at least 20 violation notices to Lineage for public nuisance.
    — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • On Thursday, a judge found Meta had created a public nuisance and ordered it to pay an additional $567 million and implement youth-safety measures.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuisance
Noun
  • Whenever Biya eventually leaves office, his successor will inherit a country also facing attacks by Boko Haram militants in the north and deep economic frustration among young people.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than treating Debra’s frustrations as something distant from her own life, Heaton drew from the reality of raising her own kids while working on the series.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustration
Noun
  • For some clubs that were running close to the wire under PSR, the shift will ease regulatory worries, as operating costs are now excluded.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Symptoms Symptoms can include sleeplessness, extreme worry about the baby or childbirth, restlessness and a racing heartbeat.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of worry

Browse Nearby Words

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 18 Aug. 2026.

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