thick skin

Idioms

Insensitivity to criticism or insult, as in You can tell him exactly what you think of his new piece; unlike most composers he has a thick skin. This term transfers an impervious outer coating to mental or emotional toughness. [Mid-1500s]

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.

She has a thick skin, a gift from her father.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Weiss said she has thick skin and believes there are a lot of people at CBS “who want to do what I want to do, and that’s win.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2025

A thick skin is a must for our top politicians.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2025

McConnell, who has unusually thick skin, is in the twilight of his career.

From Slate • Jan. 28, 2025

“You gonna have to develop a thick skin and don’t let nothin’ stop you.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023