Thorn
Briar, Wild Rose
noun
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
This has the same reading as the kanji you learned, meaning you know the reading!
この程度の苦難で、茨の道を歩んでいるような人生だとか、よく言えるよね。
How can you say that this degree of hardship is like walking on a thorny path through life?