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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hair shirts
Noun
-
The high winds are causing headaches at Detroit Metro Airport as well as some of the nation's busiest airports, as dozens of delays and cancellations were reported on Monday.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026 -
Too much carbon dioxide can cause headaches, dizziness and nausea.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
According to Fried, songbirds especially like this tree's fruit, which is reminiscent of blackberries but without the seeds or thorns.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Raspberry thorns are soft and fuzzy, and blackberry thorns are meaner and hook-shaped.—
Carl R. Gold,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the suit filed in federal court a little over a year ago laid out his frustrations after applying to be captain and getting passed over for a white officer who, according to the suit, had about a third of the experience as supervisor in the department.—
Ken Lemon,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Within the Natomas Unified School District, frustrations grew on Tuesday as the strike had reached its seventh day with no date set for new talks.—
Madisen Keavy,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Many of those surveyed said homelessness, loitering, drug use and public nuisances, along with protracted and intensive municipal construction projects, deter customers from visiting establishments.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Property owners who tolerate habitual nuisances will have to meet certain standards set by the city and pay fees to reimburse the city for enforcement resources.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Hair shirts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hair%20shirts. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
