the iron entered into his soul

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

When anguish or annoyance is felt most keenly.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “the iron entered into his soul” mean?

When anguish or annoyance is felt most keenly.

Is “the iron entered into his soul” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.