nail
The hard part at the end of your fingers and toes.
The hard, flat plate of keratin that grows on the upper surface at the end of a human or animal finger or toe.
To do something very well, in a perfect or exactly right way.
To succeed at doing something extremely well or exactly as it should be done.
A small metal stick with one sharp end, used to join pieces of wood or other things.
A small, thin metal spike with a pointed end and usually a flat head, used for fastening pieces of wood or other materials together.
To fix or join something by putting nails through it.
To attach, fix, or fasten something using nails.
To catch a person and show clearly that they did something bad or illegal.
To catch someone and prove that they have done something wrong, especially a crime or a lie.
To hit or attack someone or something exactly and with force.
To hit, shoot, or attack someone or something accurately and often forcefully, especially in sports or informal speech.
- Base: nail
- Plural: nails
- Base: nail
- 3rd Person Singular: nails
- Present Participle: nailing
- Past: nailed
bite your nails
1chew your fingernails
To chew the ends of your fingernails, often because you are nervous.
- She bites her nails when she's stressed.
- I used to bite my nails all the time as a child.
- He was biting his nails while waiting for the results.
get your nails done
1have your nails cared for professionally
To go to a salon so that someone cleans, shapes, and often paints your nails.
- I'm getting my nails done this afternoon.
- She gets her nails done every two weeks.
- We went to the mall to get our nails done before the party.
hard as nails
1very tough and not sensitive
Very strong and not easily hurt, scared, or affected by feelings.
- The coach looks friendly, but on the field she's hard as nails.
- My grandmother is hard as nails; nothing seems to bother her.
- You have to be hard as nails to work in that business.
hit the nail on the head
1say exactly the right thing
To say exactly what the main problem or truth is in a clear and correct way.
- You hit the nail on the head when you said the team needs better communication.
- Her comment about trust really hit the nail on the head.
- I think the report hits the nail on the head about our weaknesses.
nail down
1fix or finalize details
To decide or agree something clearly and finally, especially details or a time.
- We need to nail down a date for the meeting.
- They still haven't nailed down all the details of the contract.
- Let's nail down who is doing what before we start.
nail it
1succeed at something very well
To do something very well or perfectly, often better than expected.
- You really nailed it with that presentation.
- If we nail it today, the boss will be happy.
- She nailed it on her first try.
nail-biting
1very exciting and tense
Very exciting and making you feel nervous, especially because you do not know what will happen.
- It was a nail-biting finish to the game.
- The movie has some truly nail-biting scenes.
- The last election night was a nail-biting experience.
on the nail
1pay immediately and in full
To pay money that you owe straight away and in full, without delay.
- He always pays his bills on the nail.
- The rent has to be paid on the nail every month.
- If you pay on the nail, we can give you a small discount.
the final nail in the coffin
1last thing that causes failure
The last thing that happens which finally makes something fail or end.
- The poor sales figures were the final nail in the coffin for the project.
- Losing their biggest customer was the final nail in the coffin for the company.
- His latest mistake may be the final nail in the coffin of his career.
tough as nails
1extremely tough and strong
Very strong, brave, and not easily hurt, both physically and emotionally.
- She's small, but she's tough as nails.
- You have to be tough as nails to survive in that industry.
- Despite his age, he's still tough as nails.
fight tooth and nail
1Try extremely hard to win/achieve
To do everything you can to win or stop something from happening.
- They fought tooth and nail to protect their home.
- She fought tooth and nail for her children’s rights.
fight tooth and nail
2Fight very hard for something
To fight very strongly to achieve something or stop something from happening.
- They fought tooth and nail to protect their land.
- She fought tooth and nail for her rights.
fight tooth and nail
3fight very hard for something
To try extremely hard to get something or to stop something from happening.
- They fought tooth and nail to keep their business open.
- The players are fighting tooth and nail for a place in the team.
- Residents are fighting tooth and nail against the new development.