# thick skin

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/thick-skin
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Ability to take criticism or harsh behavior without being easily offended.

## Examples

- You need a thick skin to work in sales.
- She developed a thick skin after years of dealing with difficult customers at the office.
- To survive in the competitive world of professional politics, one must cultivate a thick skin against constant public scrutiny.

## Origin

From a compound of the adjective *thick* and the noun *skin*. It is a routine construction of Germanic origin, with *thick* descending from Old English *þicce* and *skin* from Old Norse *skinn*.

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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.