as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
was so thick-skinned that she was clueless about the fact that the joke had hurt her friend's feelings
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Recent Examples of thick-skinned
The trunk, in the manner of succulent trees at large, is technically a caudex or thick-skinned water storage structure, which, in this case, is also the principal photosynthesizing or food-producing organ of the tree.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
Southerners like to use these thick-skinned grapes for preserves and wines.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
It is made from the thick-skinned Lambrusco di Grasparossa, whose high acid keeps the wine balanced and avoids its being cloyingly sweet from its 48 grams/liter residual sugar.
—John Mariani, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
The formidable thick-skinned, long-furred beast occupied the mammoth steppe, a cold-dry grassland biome that existed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).
—Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2024
Its small, thick-skinned berries make wine with strong tannins and high acidity, two components that aide in Cabernet Sauvignon’s ability to age.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
Haley has chosen instead to cast herself as a fighter who happens to be a woman, someone thick-skinned yet self-aware.
—Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023
Tannat: Its roots are in southern France, but Tannat has now become the calling card for Uruguay’s wine industry, which prizes the thick-skinned grape for its drought and heat tolerance.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Aug. 2019
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
Southerners like to use these thick-skinned grapes for preserves and wines.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
It is made from the thick-skinned Lambrusco di Grasparossa, whose high acid keeps the wine balanced and avoids its being cloyingly sweet from its 48 grams/liter residual sugar.
—John Mariani, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
The formidable thick-skinned, long-furred beast occupied the mammoth steppe, a cold-dry grassland biome that existed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).
—Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2024
Its small, thick-skinned berries make wine with strong tannins and high acidity, two components that aide in Cabernet Sauvignon’s ability to age.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
Haley has chosen instead to cast herself as a fighter who happens to be a woman, someone thick-skinned yet self-aware.
—Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023
Tannat: Its roots are in southern France, but Tannat has now become the calling card for Uruguay’s wine industry, which prizes the thick-skinned grape for its drought and heat tolerance.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thick-skinned
Adjective
-
More ruthless than ever, Tony Baddingham (Tennant) is determined to dismantle his rivals piece-by-piece, weaponising scandal and manipulating those closest to him to maintain his grip on power.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Their little brother Dante is an irresponsible party boy, tangled up with a ruthless local gang.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This commentary was not from a wonkish TikToker nor a network pundit but from TMZ, the merciless purveyor of celebrity dirt, which published the images of Graham after a citizen vacationer noticed the senator flitting through the theme park and sent pictures.—
Paula Mejía,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
-
But in the shadows, amid growing unease at the bloodthirsty actions of the realm’s merciless Mad King, dissenters from his inner circle anxiously advance a treasonous plot.—
Ryan Brennan
April 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In a vast stony tract of desert a three-hour drive south of Cairo, tucked between jagged black mountains and the glittering Gulf of Suez, a group of Chinese engineers is quietly rewiring Egypt’s energy strategy.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Hikers can traverse the stony beds of Cliffy Creek and snap photos of the park's four iconic waterfalls.—
Joie Probst,
Midwest Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thick-skinned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thick-skinned. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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