often attributive
1
2
: a woody plant bearing sharp impeding processes (such as prickles or spines)
especially
: hawthorn
3
: something that causes distress or irritation
—often used in the phrase thorn in one's side
4
: the runic letter þ used in Old English and Middle English to represent either of the fricatives \th\ or \t͟h\ and in Icelandic to represent \th\
Examples of thorn in a Sentence
your constant questions are a thorn in my side
Recent Examples on the Web
The human invaders as usual are a major threat to Pandora in an existential sense, plus former military guy/Na'vi villain Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is a constant thorn in their sides.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
Judges' grants of nationwide relief have been a thorn in the administration's side since Trump took office in January.
—Christina Gatti, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
Yet despite being a recurring thorn in the president’s side, Kentucky Republicans showed no appetite for a replacement, and Massie sailed to an easy victory in his 2020 GOP primary.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
Yet, the sterility of Lars Jacobsen’s A-B-C script is also its frequent thorn.
—Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorn
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
“Thorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorn. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
Kids Definition
thorn
noun1
: a woody plant bearing sharp processes (as prickles or spines)
especially
: hawthorn
2
: a sharp stiff process on a plant
especially
: a stem modified into a short, stiff, and leafless sharp point
3
: something or someone that causes distress or irritation
—often used in the phrase thorn in one's side
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share