Skip to learning
Practice

THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE

Have a thick skin

Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.

01 / UNDERSTAND

Meaning in plain English

Be able to handle criticism or unkind remarks without becoming easily upset.

02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT

The expression in a sentence

  1. Working with public reviews has helped me develop a thick skin.

03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Quick idiom quiz

Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.

Can you recall the expression?

Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?

Be able to handle criticism or unkind remarks without becoming easily upset.
Show the answer

Have a thick skin — Be able to handle criticism or unkind remarks without becoming easily upset.

Try your own sentence (optional)

Make it yours

Write one sentence using “Have a thick skin” about your own life.

Check your sentence

Does your sentence match this meaning?

Be able to handle criticism or unkind remarks without becoming easily upset.

Compare: Working with public reviews has helped me develop a thick skin.

Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.

Self-review only. Your sentence is not automatically marked, saved or submitted.

This quiz is for practice. To save lesson completion on this device, complete the checks in the app.

GO DEEPER

More ways to understand and use it

When to use it

Use this conversational expression about emotional resilience. It does not mean a person has no feelings or that unkind treatment is acceptable.

More examples in context

  • She has a thick skin, but she still considers useful criticism carefully.
  • You may need a thick skin when you share creative work widely.

Usage note

Keep the article “a”. “Thick-skinned” is the related adjective. A thick skin describes how someone handles criticism; it is different from refusing to listen to all feedback.

A short conversation

A: How do you cope with negative comments on your designs?
B: I’ve developed a thick skin, but I still look for feedback I can use.
A: That sounds like a helpful balance.

One more practice question

Which person has a thick skin?

A. Someone who is deeply distressed by every mild comment.
B. Someone who can hear criticism without becoming easily upset.

Check your answer

B. The expression describes resilience in the face of criticism.

Related lessons

Meaning and usage checked against Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.

Share this idiom