hard as nails
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was that he had all the best qualities you’d want in somebody; his heart of gold, and then you couple that with him just being hard as nails and tough, no quit ever.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025
On these second-act hits, Tucker was no longer the wild and wise child; she was a full-grown romantic, who managed to be, at the same time, hard as nails.
From The New Yorker • Aug. 23, 2019
As the English say, he was as hard as nails.
From BBC • Mar. 8, 2015
He's an excellent team-mate, he's an excellent man to coach, he's as hard as nails.
From The Guardian • Mar. 15, 2013
A week later we passed the broth shack, and there was a sixty-year-old woman working there, hard as nails, dishing out consommé.
From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
