# hard as nails

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hard-as-nails
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Very unsympathetic; callous

## Examples

- The boss is hard as nails and never shows any pity.
- Do not expect any sympathy from the manager, as she is hard as nails when it comes to following company rules.
- Despite the desperate pleas of his employees, the director remained hard as nails, refusing to offer any leniency regarding the strict new deadlines.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.