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
-
Some headaches are related to muscle tension and can be triggered by stress.9 Hot showers or baths promote relaxation.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
9 July 2025
-
These can seem like a real headache for a sole trader who does not have an HR department to take care of all this for them.—
Peter Boolkah,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
James Tolkan plays Gerald Strickland, who worked at Hill Valley High School and, in both 1955 and 1985, was a thorn in the side of the McFlys.—
Jonathon Dornbush,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
-
Many people had thoughts about what was said, especially the constant thorn in Puff’s side, 50 Cent.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
The city’s multidisciplinary public task force, established in August 2023, was formed to investigate businesses and properties that have public safety concerns and city ordinance violations like nuisances and municipal offenses.—
PJ Green
July 10,
Kansas City Star,
10 July 2025
-
There is also an AI consultant… who probably would have come in handy last season dealing with the artificial intelligence nuisances that were Ainsley and Jankie.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
More than six months into his presidency, Trump has shown increasing frustration with Putin as a ceasefire deal to end the conflict remains out of reach.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
-
North Texas’ congestion, perhaps to the frustration of many, had more or less returned to normal by 2022, according to data compiled by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Their visits to the ophthalmologist are now every six months, but Maggie admits the worry never quite fades.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
7 July 2025
-
Meanwhile, there was hand-wringing in the NASCAR garage over headlines about high crime and worries about whether the Cup Series cars would be able to have a good show on such a narrow course.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hair shirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hair%20shirt. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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