IdiomBody & Senses

English

thin-skinned

Meaning: Easily offended or hurt by criticism.

Example: “The singer is too thin-skinned to read online reviews.”

Origin: Thin skin gives little protection. The figurative sense is recorded from the late 17th century.

Equivalents in other languages

Filipino: Balat-sibuyas Literally: Onion-skinned

More English idioms

use a sledgehammer to crack a nut To use far more force than a small problem needs.
a monkey's wedding A sunshower, when rain falls while the sun shines.
off one's trolley Crazy or foolish.
as scarce as hen's teeth Extremely rare.
come down hard on someone To punish or criticize someone severely.
like a headless chicken In a frantic, disorganized way.

Explore another collection: False Friends

Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.

Rester Actually means 'to stay' or 'to remain'. Je reste ici = I'm staying here — not taking a n…
Attendre Actually means 'to wait for'. J'attends le bus = I'm waiting for the bus. For attend an e…
Actuel Actually means 'current' or 'present-day'. Actuellement = currently — not 'actually'.

Browse all false friends →

Keep exploring

Explore all idioms →