thorn in one's flesh

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Idioms and Phrases

Also, thorn in one's side . A constant source of irritation, as in Paul's complaining and whining are a thorn in my flesh , or Mother's always comparing us children—it's a thorn in our sides . This metaphoric expression appears twice in the Bible. In Judges 2:3 it is enemies that “shall be as thorns in your sides”; in II Corinthians 12:7 Paul says his infirmities are “given to me a thorn in the flesh.”

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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