millstone

American  

[mil-stohn] / ˈmɪlˌstoʊn /

noun

1. either of a pair of circular stones between which grain or another substance is ground, as in a mill.

2. anything that grinds or crushes.

3. any heavy mental or emotional burden (often used in the phrasea millstone around one's neck ).

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millstone British  

/ ˈmɪlˌstəʊn /

noun

1. one of a pair of heavy flat disc-shaped stones that are rotated one against the other to grind grain

2. a heavy burden, such as a responsibility or obligation

   his debts were a millstone round his neck

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Etymology

Origin of millstone

before 1050; Middle English milneston, Old English mylenstān. See mill ¹, stone

Example Sentences

“As the only sector to record a negative return in Q3, staples was the proverbial millstone around quality’s neck.”

From Barron's • Oct. 27, 2025

Jayne is one of an estimated one in 20 people in the UK thought to have a hoarding disorder, and is trying a new technique to release the "millstone" around her neck.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2025

Yet property remains a millstone for growth and confidence and while the economy may have touched bottom, there are no signs of the sort of rapid rebound that would compel investment.

From Reuters • Oct. 18, 2023

The play’s conceit feels like a millstone around its neck, a catchy hook that quickly begins to feel like an obligation.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 12, 2023

Paradoxically, a series of ‘improvements’, each of which was meant to make life easier, added up to a millstone around the necks of these farmers.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

• burden