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This usage of 耳が痛い seems to overlap with 耳に胼胝ができる, and is not listed in any
dictionary I checked.

三省堂:

> 人の言うことが、自分の弱点や欠点に触れているようで、聞いているのが辛い様子。「彼が先生に注意されているのを聞いていて、私も耳が痛かった」

明鏡:

> 他人の言うことが自分の弱点を突いているので、聞くのがつらい

デジタル大辞泉:

> 他人の言葉が自分の弱点をついていて、聞くのがつらい。「親友の忠告を聞くのは―・い」

This meaning is also absent from [here](https://proverb-
encyclopedia.com/mimigaitai/) and [there](https://meaning.jp/posts/860).

However, the website [絵で分かる](http://www.edewakaru.com/archives/13537901.html)
lists three meanings:

>   * 自分{じぶん}の失敗{しっぱい}について、聞{き}くことがつらい
>   * 自分の悪{わる}いところを言{い}われて、聞くことがつらい
>   * 何度{なんど}も同{おな}じことを言われて、聞くことがつらい
>

This meaning also seems to appear in a book for children (I don't have the
reference but I was told that this picture is from a book for children).

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/yQRWB.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/yQRWB.png)

Hence my question. Did the usage of this proverb evolve or is the usage as
何度も同じことを言われて聞くことがつらい considered wrong?
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question
expressions
Can 耳が痛い be used to mean 何度も同じことを言われて聞くことがつらい?
I have it in my dictionary, so I care share this interesting idiom:

> みみがいたい 【耳が痛い, 耳がいたい】
>
> 表現 (句, 節, など.), 形容詞, 慣用表現  
>  ⓐ being painfully-true (e.g. reprimand), making one's ears burn, striking
> home (e.g. remark)  
>  ⓑ having an earache, feeling pain in one's ear

Source: 白檜辞書
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answer
They are not interchangeable.

耳が痛い is used after hearing a righteous criticism about you. It's an idiom that
means "It's a tough remark but I must admit it's true". You don't have to hear
it more than once. The first three authoritative dictionaries say nothing
about repetition, do they? I don't know why some sources say 何度も, which I
believe is not part of the meaning of this idiom.

耳にタコができる is a different idiom used after hearing the same thing many times and
getting tired of it. Unlike 耳が痛い, you don't necessarily have to agree with
what was said. Note that a タコ (usually written in kana, "callus") is something
you get as a response to heavily repeated stimulation.
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answer