hard nails
Uncompromising and durable
Hard nails describes someone tough, unsentimental, and unyielding.
The phrase almost always appears with "as": She's as hard as nails when it comes to business negotiations.
It suggests someone who won't bend under pressure or be moved by emotional appeals—admirable in contexts requiring resilience, less so when compassion is called for.
- solidFirm matter state
- sturdySolidly built, durable
- toughDurable and strong
- robustStrong and durable
- strongHaving great physical power
adamantine · indomitable · gritty · resilient · unyielding · iron-willed · iron fist · invincible · keratin · tenacious · stiff upper lip · no nonsense · hooves · firm · rugged · talons · durable · claws
toughness/resilience (metaphorical)
hard nailssoft as butter
pushover · softie · tender heart · weakling · cream puff
hard, nails, harder, hardest, hardly, hardness, harden, hardened, hardening