thorns

IPA/θɔːn/
KK[θˈɔrnz]IPA/θɔːrn/

thorns — noun

  • thornssingular
  • thornsesplural

1. one of the thin, sharp points that grow on the stems or branches of some plants,

1.名詞B1
釋義

one of the thin, sharp points that grow on the stems or branches of some plants, such as roses or blackberry bushes, and can cut your skin if you touch them.

例句

Cole wore thick gardening gloves to protect his hands from the thorns.

collocation: wear gloves to protect from thorns

A long thorn from the rose bush scratched Tuan's arm as he walked past.

同義詞
  • prickle

    a smaller, surface-level sharp point that is easier to remove than a thorn, found on plants like blackberry canes

  • spine

    a modified leaf or leaf part, typically found on cacti; sharper and stiffer than a thorn

  • barb

    a backward-facing point, often on a hook or wire, that is difficult to pull out

文法句型

thorn + grow on + plant

pull + a thorn + out of

用法筆記

The singular form thorn is also very common. Thorns are different from spines (modified leaves found on cacti) and prickles (smaller surface growths on plants like blackberry canes).

常見錯誤

❌Cacti are covered in thorns.
✅Cacti are covered in spines.
💡Cacti have spines (modified leaves), not thorns (modified stems).
❌That cactus has sharp thorns.
✅That cactus has sharp spines.
💡Botanically, cacti grow spines (modified leaves), not thorns (modified stems).

2. a person or thing that keeps causing problems or making you feel annoyed, especi

2.名詞B2
釋義

a person or thing that keeps causing problems or making you feel annoyed, especially over a long period of time.

例句

The traffic noise was a thorn in the side of everyone living on that street.

idiom: a thorn in the side of [someone]

Shirin's unreliable internet connection became a real thorn in her side during online classes.

idiom: a thorn in someone's side

同義詞
  • nuisance

    more general; something that causes minor inconvenience or annoyance, not necessarily persistent

  • irritation

    focuses on the feeling of being annoyed rather than the source itself

  • source of annoyance

    more formal and explicit; less idiomatic

反義詞
  • blessing

    something that brings happiness or relief instead of trouble

  • comfort

    something that soothes rather than irritates

文法句型

be a thorn in + possessive + side/flesh

用法筆記

This sense is most often used in the fixed phrase a thorn in someone's side or (less commonly) a thorn in someone's flesh. It is rarely used freely as a countable noun outside of these expressions.

常見錯誤

❌The noisy neighbor was a thorn on my side.
✅The noisy neighbor was a thorn in my side.
💡The correct preposition is 'in', not 'on'.
❌This problem is a big thorn.
✅This problem is a thorn in my side.
💡The figurative sense normally requires the full idiomatic phrase.