hair-shirt
Itchy atonement wear
A hair shirt is a coarse garment worn against the skin as a form of religious penance or self-mortification.
The rough fabric—traditionally woven from goat hair—caused constant discomfort as a reminder of spiritual discipline.
Figuratively, hair-shirt describes self-imposed suffering or excessive guilt: His hair-shirt environmentalism meant no car, no flights, no joy.
Coarse fabric for penance
textile · fibrous · rough · itchy · penitential · medieval · monastic · habit
Restraining one's own desires
- self-disciplineRegulating one's own behavior
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
- fastingDeliberate food avoidance
- abstinenceVoluntary forgoing of indulgences
renunciation · monastic · hermit · spartan · frugality · simplicity · celibacy · stoicism
Intense shame or embarrassment
- self-flagellationDeliberately striking one's own body
- atonementCompensation for wrongdoing
- expiationRedress for offense
- contritionRemorseful state over misdeeds
penitent · absolution · confession · remorse · guilt · reparation · self-punishment · suffering
Voluntarily placed upon oneself
- burdenOppressive weight or duty
- guiltMoral self-reproach
- punishmentPenalty for an offense
- tormentSevere prolonged suffering
suffering · martyrdom · self-inflicted · penance · inner turmoil · psychological · emotional weight
sackcloth
Coarse fabric for penance
woven · textile · fibrous · rough · itchy · penitential · medieval · monastic · habit · tunic
self-denial
Restraining one's own desires
- self-disciplineRegulating one's own behavior
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
- fastingDeliberate food avoidance
abstinence · renunciation · monastic · hermit · spartan · frugality · simplicity · celibacy · stoicism · temperance
mortification
Intense shame or embarrassment
- self-flagellationDeliberately striking one's own body
- atonementCompensation for wrongdoing
- expiationRedress for offense
contrition · penitent · absolution · confession · remorse · guilt · reparation · self-punishment · suffering · chastisement
self-imposed
Voluntarily placed upon oneself
- burdenOppressive weight or duty
- guiltMoral self-reproach
- punishmentPenalty for an offense
torment · suffering · martyrdom · self-inflicted · penance · inner turmoil · psychological · emotional weight
hair-shirtsilk robe
Loose garment of fine fabric
satin · fleece · loungewear · down comforter · pajamas
hair-shirtself-indulgence
Excessive yielding to desires
hedonism · luxury · sybaritism · decadence · indulgence
hair-shirtlibertinism
Unrestrained indulgence in pleasure
shamelessness · self-forgiveness · worldliness · carnality · irreverence
hair, shirt, hairs, shirts, haired, hairy, hairier, hairiest, hairiness