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
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
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
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
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
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Unexpectedly, though, operators stumbled across an issue with ground support equipment that could cause more headaches for a crucial moon mission that has already slipped at least a month from its target launch date.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Running out of memory, setting up a new phone or simply wanting peace of mind, Picture Keeper removes the headache from backups.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The question over how Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement will impact the World Cup — when millions are expected to visit — remains a thorn in FIFA’s side.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Let’s go through your roses and thorns for some of the show’s most iconic scenes.—
Reshma Gopaldas,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Honeysuckle is considered a nuisance by many homeowners.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
19 Feb. 2026
-
This list includes invasive species that spread across the landscape, smothering everything in their path (like kudzu, of course), as well as fast-growing native species, like trumpet vine and Virginia creeper, which spread quickly and can become a nuisance in yards and gardens.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Rosen has voiced frustration with the prospect of having supported Measure A and still bracing for heavy cuts to his office.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
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The year before, Jackson had been involved in a demonstration that closed part of the Dan Ryan Expressway, a mass expression of frustration over gun violence.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Its stock has been under pressure because of worries that competitors powered by artificial intelligence technology could upend its industry and take away customers.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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But the new study—along with previous research—reiterates that worries of weight gain with mango consumption aren’t substantiated.—
Lauren Manaker MS,
Health,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hair shirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hair%20shirt. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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