nail
gb/nˈeɪl/ us/nˈeɪl/
A1
Inglês
~ 6700
Aceções
0 aceções
Nome
A1
entity
1
hard part at tip of finger or toe
The hard part at the end of your fingers and toes.
Padrão de uso:
[someone]'s nails
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse 'nail' with 'finger' and say '*my finger is long*' when they mean 'my nail is long'. 'Finger' is the whole body part; 'nail' is only the hard part at the end.
Sinónimos
fingernail (More specific; refers only to a nail on a finger, not on a toe.)
Antónimos
skin (Refers to the soft tissue around the nail, contrasting with the hard nail itself.)
Colocações
bite your nails
|clip your nails
|paint your nails
|trim your nails
|clean under your nails
Temas
body
|health
|daily life
Exemplos
- She nervously started biting her nails during the interview.
- I need to trim my nails before the wedding.
- He scratched the table with his long nails.
- The doctor checked his nails for signs of poor health.
- She had her nails painted bright red for the party.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- My nails are too long.
- She bites her nails when she is afraid.
- I wash my hands and clean my nails.
- He cut his nails with small scissors.
- Her nails look nice and clean.
Verbo
informal
B1
action
2
do something perfectly or exactly right
To do something very well, in a perfect or exactly right way.
Padrão de uso:
to nail [something] / to nail it
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse this informal sense with the more literal sense 'to fix something with nails'. In the phrase 'You nailed it', it does NOT mean you used metal nails; it means you did something very well.
Sinónimos
ace (Very informal and often used about tests or challenges; slightly more slangy than 'nail'.)
Antónimos
mess up (Means to do something badly or make a mistake, the opposite of doing it perfectly.)
Colocações
nail the presentation
|nail the exam
|really nail it
|nail the performance
Temas
success
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
|work
Exemplos
- You really nailed that job interview.
- She nailed the high note in the final chorus.
- If we nail this project, we might get a promotion.
- He practiced the speech all week and nailed it on the day.
- The director said we nailed the scene in just one take.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- You nailed your test today.
- She nailed the dance and everyone clapped.
- He practiced many times and then he nailed it.
- We nailed the game and won by ten points.
- I hope I can nail my driving test.
Nome
B1
entity
3
small metal spike for fastening
A small metal stick with one sharp end, used to join pieces of wood or other things.
Padrão de uso:
hammer a nail into [something]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse 'nail' and 'screw'. A nail is smooth and you hit it with a hammer. A screw has a twisting pattern and you turn it with a screwdriver.
Sinónimos
spike (A more general word for a sharp pointed object; not all spikes are used as fasteners like nails.)
Antónimos
screw (Not a true opposite, but a common alternative fastener that twists in rather than being hammered.)
Colocações
hammer a nail
|rusty nail
|box of nails
|nail and screw
|nail gun
Temas
construction
|tools
|home
|work
|daily_life
Exemplos
- He used a hammer to drive the nail into the wall.
- Make sure the nails are long enough to hold the shelves.
- She stepped on a rusty nail in the garden.
- We need a box of nails to finish this project.
- The carpenter pulled the old nails out of the floorboards.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- He hits the nail with a hammer.
- There is a nail in the wall for the picture.
- She bought nails at the store.
- Be careful; there is a sharp nail on the ground.
- We need more nails to make the table.
Verbo
B2
action
4
fasten something using nails
To fix or join something by putting nails through it.
Padrão de uso:
to nail [something] to [something]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes say '*hit the picture to the wall*' when they mean 'nail the picture to the wall'. You hit the nail, but you nail the picture to the wall.
Sinónimos
fasten (More general; 'fasten' can use many methods (tape, glue, screws), while 'nail' specifically uses nails.)
Antónimos
pry off (Means to pull something off forcefully, often with a tool, undoing what nails have fixed.)
Colocações
nail the boards together
|nail the sign up
|nail the picture to the wall
|nail down the floorboards
Temas
construction
|home
|manual work
|work
|daily_life
Exemplos
- He nailed the shelves to the wall for extra support.
- They nailed wooden boards across the broken window.
- The sign was nailed to a tree by the road.
- We need to nail these planks together before it rains.
- She nailed a small hook into the door to hang her coat.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- He nails the picture to the wall.
- They will nail the wood to the floor.
- My dad nailed a small hook to the door.
- We nailed the boards together to make a box.
- She nailed a sign to the tree.
Verbo
informal
C1
action
5
catch someone and prove guilt
To catch a person and show clearly that they did something bad or illegal.
Padrão de uso:
to nail [someone] for [something]
Erro comum:
Learners may misunderstand this sense as physical violence. In this usage, 'nail' focuses on catching and proving someone is guilty, not on hurting them.
Sinónimos
bust (Very informal; often used about police catching someone; similar tone to 'nail'.)
Antónimos
let off (Means to allow someone to go without punishment, the opposite of catching and proving guilt.)
Colocações
nail someone for fraud
|nail the suspect
|nail him on the charges
|finally nail the criminal
Temas
crime
|law
|justice
|communication
Exemplos
- The police finally nailed him for tax evasion.
- Investigators are still trying to nail the people behind the scam.
- The reporter nailed the politician with evidence of corruption.
- They didn't have enough proof to nail her on the theft charge.
- The video footage really nailed them; they couldn't deny it.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- The police nailed the thief after many weeks.
- The boss nailed him for lying about his work.
- The video nailed the man who broke the window.
- They want to nail the person who did this crime.
- The teacher nailed the students who cheated on the test.
Verbo
informal
B2
action
6
hit or attack accurately and hard
To hit or attack someone or something exactly and with force.
Padrão de uso:
to nail [someone/something]
Erro comum:
Learners may confuse this with the 'do perfectly' sense. In sports, 'He nailed the shot' can mean both that he hit the target and that he did it very well; context often mixes the two ideas.
Sinónimos
smack (Informal and often about hitting with the hand; 'nail' can also be used for shots, balls, or weapons.)
Antónimos
miss (Means to fail to hit a target, the opposite of hitting it accurately.)
Colocações
nail a shot
|nail the target
|nail him with a snowball
|nail a three-pointer
Temas
sports
|violence
|games
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- She nailed a three-point shot in the final seconds.
- He nailed his opponent with a powerful punch.
- The snowball fight ended when someone nailed the teacher right in the back.
- The sniper nailed the target from 300 meters away.
- He tried to dodge, but the ball nailed him in the face.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- She nailed the ball into the goal.
- He nailed his friend with a snowball.
- The player nailed a long shot.
- The stone nailed the window and broke it.
- He tried to move, but the ball nailed his arm.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
nail
IPA
GB/nˈeɪl/
US/nˈeɪl/
Sílabas e acento
nail (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (nail)
Formas da palavra
Noun
- Base: nail
- Plural: nails
Verb
- Base: nail
- 3rd Person Singular: nails
- Present Participle: nailing
- Past: nailed
Família de palavras
Forms
nails
noun
nailing
verb
nailed
verb
Core family
fingernail
noun A2
toenail
noun A2
Related words
thumbnail
noun B1
hangnail
noun
Expressões
bite your nails
1/bˈaɪt jˈʊɹ nˈeɪlz/
fixed phrase
chew your fingernails
To chew the ends of your fingernails, often because you are nervous.
Exemplos
- 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
1/ɡˈɛt jˈʊɹ nˈeɪlz dˈʌn/
fixed phrase
informal
have your nails cared for professionally
To go to a salon so that someone cleans, shapes, and often paints your nails.
Exemplos
- 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
1/hˈɑɹd ˈæz nˈeɪlz/
idiom
informal
very tough and not sensitive
Very strong and not easily hurt, scared, or affected by feelings.
Exemplos
- 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
1/hˈɪt ðə nˈeɪl ˈɔn ðə hˈɛd/
idiom
say exactly the right thing
To say exactly what the main problem or truth is in a clear and correct way.
Exemplos
- 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
1/nˈeɪl dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
fix or finalize details
To decide or agree something clearly and finally, especially details or a time.
Exemplos
- 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
1/nˈeɪl ˈɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
succeed at something very well
To do something very well or perfectly, often better than expected.
Exemplos
- 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
1/nˈeɪl bˈaɪtɪŋ/
fixed phrase
very exciting and tense
Very exciting and making you feel nervous, especially because you do not know what will happen.
Exemplos
- 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
1/ˈɔn ðə nˈeɪl/
idiom
pay immediately and in full
To pay money that you owe straight away and in full, without delay.
Exemplos
- 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
1/ðə fˈaɪnəl nˈeɪl ˈɪn ðə kˈɔfɪn/
idiom
last thing that causes failure
The last thing that happens which finally makes something fail or end.
Exemplos
- 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
1/tˈʌf ˈæz nˈeɪlz/
idiom
informal
extremely tough and strong
Very strong, brave, and not easily hurt, both physically and emotionally.
Exemplos
- 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
1/fˈaɪt tˈuθ ˈænd nˈeɪl/
idiom
informal
Try extremely hard to win/achieve
To do everything you can to win or stop something from happening.
Exemplos
- They fought tooth and nail to protect their home.
- She fought tooth and nail for her children’s rights.
fight tooth and nail
2/fˈaɪt tˈuθ ˈænd nˈeɪl/
idiom
informal
Fight very hard for something
To fight very strongly to achieve something or stop something from happening.
Exemplos
- They fought tooth and nail to protect their land.
- She fought tooth and nail for her rights.
fight tooth and nail
3/fˈaɪt tˈuθ ˈænd nˈeɪl/
idiom
fight very hard for something
To try extremely hard to get something or to stop something from happening.
Exemplos
- 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.