Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

thorn in the flesh

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.40 in modern English

Syllables: thorn in the flesh
IPA

27

Scrabble Score

15

Letters

1

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A persistent difficulty or something very annoying that will not go away.

Example Sentences

"Whereas the growth of new middle and upper classes remains a thorn in the flesh to the Communist Party, the military element is inclined to favor this development, in the belief that those who have something at stake are more likely to fight to defend the system in the event of another conflict."
"Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the post of the Executive Director of the Kenya Roads Board has been a thorn in the flesh of the Minister."
"Even individual castles could be a thorn in the flesh of a powerful kingdom."

Etymology

With reference to the Bible 2nd Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 7. 2 Corinthians 12.7

Inflected Forms

thorns in the flesh (plural)

Synonyms

thorn in one's side

Questions

What does thorn in the flesh mean?: A persistent difficulty or something very annoying that will not go away.
Where does thorn in the flesh come from?: With reference to the Bible 2nd Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 7. 2 Corinthians 12.7

How to pronounce thorn in the flesh

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