thorn in someone's side
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
A constant annoyance or source of trouble
Literally: a sharp spine causing discomfort
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
His noisy neighbors were a thorn in his side.
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “thorn in someone's side” mean?
A constant annoyance or source of trouble Literally: a sharp spine causing discomfort
Is “thorn in someone's side” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.