Meaning & use
crown of thorns
A ring of thorny branches, especially the one traditionally described as placed on Jesus Christ's head before his crucifixion.
See it in a sentence
The painting showed Christ wearing a crown of thorns, blood trickling down his face.
Museum visitors examined a relic said to be a fragment of the crown of thorns.
A note on using this word
The phrase is also used figuratively for a painful burden that comes along with a position of honor.
Words with a similar meaning
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