hard words break no bones

hard words break no bones

proverb Hurtful words cannot cause any physical pain and thus will be ignored or disregarded. I've never been affected by people's criticism—hard words break no bones, after all. A: "There are some pretty unflattering rumors circulating about you now." B: "Oh, who cares? Hard words break no bones." I can't believe my own sister would say something so mean about me! Hard words break no bones, but they sure can sting.

See also: bone, break, hard, no, word

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

Hard words break no bones.

Prov. Verbal abuse does not physically hurt you, and therefore you should not be very upset by it. (Can be used to reply to someone who is verbally abusing you.) Jill: I can't believe some of the names Fred called me. Jane: Well, hard words break no bones.

See also: bone, break, hard, no, word

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.