hard as nails

Idioms and Phrases

Unyielding, callous, unsympathetic, as in Don't ask her for a contribution—she's hard as nails . This expression has replaced the 14th-century simile hard as flint stone and presumably alludes to the rigidity of nails.

Example Sentences

While a friend has described her as politically "as hard as nails", Reeves' time in Westminster has not been without controversy.

From BBC

But one of her friends says politically she is "hard as nails".

From BBC

He remembers inviting a group of heterosexual friends to watch a match in Ilkley and them asking which of the players were gay because they were "hard as nails".

From BBC

"I always well up when I watch it. But Jenny, who remains a close friend, doesn't. Hard as nails, she is!"

From BBC

Although Chicago describes herself as “a pussycat,” she’s actually hard as nails, and although her shut-up-it’s-my-piece-we-do-as-I-say attitude was necessary to drive the project to completion, several volunteers left, vowing never to work with her again.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• endurance
• grit
• persistence
• stamina
• staying power