as in headaches
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hair shirts
Noun
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People there in the 1970s were getting sick with symptoms like severe fatigue, headaches, skin rashes and swollen knees.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
9 June 2026 -
Persistent headaches, scratchy throats and that foggy, fatigued feeling that never quite lifts may not be a virus or seasonal pollen.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Others may even have thorns, so thornless trees like the captivator are quite popular.—
Emily Hayes,
Martha Stewart,
10 June 2026
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Some have thorns or spines, others have poisonous leaves or berries, and still others have…elaborate chemical defense alarm systems?—
Regina G. Barber,
NPR,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Fried issued her statement to the Herald in response to questions about frustrations with the party’s silence on Wasserman Schultz’s run.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
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Those frustrations turned to elation last summer when not only did Uzbekistan finally qualify, but did so with a game to spare when edging out the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in their group.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
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For buyers whose lives are otherwise optimized to the point of abstraction, taking on those tangible nuisances can feel almost noble.—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
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Japanese beetles and slugs are pesky nuisances that will go after the basil in your garden.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Hair shirts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hair%20shirts. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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