thorn in the flesh
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thorn in the flesh
Where it comes from
With reference to the Bible 2nd Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 7.
2 Corinthians 12.7
noun thorns in the flesh
-
A persistent difficulty or something very annoying that will not go away.
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.
Similar: thorn in one's side
Translations
Every language
noun persistent difficulty
| Français | épine au pied |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Stachel im Fleisch |
| Русский | бельмо́ на глазу́ belʹmó na glazú |
Talk about this word "thorn in the flesh." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/thorn%20in%20the%20flesh. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. thorn in the flesh. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/thorn%20in%20the%20flesh "thorn in the flesh." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/thorn%20in%20the%20flesh.Cite this
@misc{thorn_in_the_flesh_2026,
title = {thorn in the flesh},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/thorn%20in%20the%20flesh},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
