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
Often a thorn in the side of leadership, Massie is unlikely to strike any deal with leadership to avoid a vote on releasing the Epstein files.
—
Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
Buds will fail to open properly, and some of the canes will have multitudes of thorns.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2025
As the rest of the division stumbles — the New York Jets are winless, and the Miami Dolphins have only one win — the Patriots, between Vrabel and Maye, appear to have the building blocks in place to be a thorn in the Bills’ side.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 6 Oct. 2025
Kincaid was a consistent thorn in the Patriots’ side, putting together a six-catch, 108-yard effort while only playing on fewer than 60 percent of the team’s offensive snaps.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorn
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Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
Buds will fail to open properly, and some of the canes will have multitudes of thorns.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2025
As the rest of the division stumbles — the New York Jets are winless, and the Miami Dolphins have only one win — the Patriots, between Vrabel and Maye, appear to have the building blocks in place to be a thorn in the Bills’ side.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 6 Oct. 2025
Kincaid was a consistent thorn in the Patriots’ side, putting together a six-catch, 108-yard effort while only playing on fewer than 60 percent of the team’s offensive snaps.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorn
Cite this Entry
“Thorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorn. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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