hard as the nether millstone

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Very callous or hardhearted.

Register: archaic

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “hard as the nether millstone” mean?

Very callous or hardhearted.

Is “hard as the nether millstone” formal or informal?

hard as the nether millstone is generally archaic.