3nail in somebody’s/something’s coffinDESTROYone of several bad things which help to destroy someone’s success or hopes 导致某人/某事物失败的因素
Observers fear that this strike will be another nail in the coffin of the industry.
观察家担心这次罢工将是对该行业的又一次致命打击。
the final nail in his coffin
他的催命符
Examples from the Corpus
nail in somebody’s/something’s coffin• Another loss would be another nail in Branfoots managerial coffin.• Industryobserversfear that this would be another nail in the coffin of the independent record industry.• It is another nail in the coffin of deterrence even if the first generation of cruise will be slow for such a role.• Was not the film's very name, Last Resort, another nail in Margate's coffin?• A finalnail in the coffin had been hammered in by Wrede.• For me this was the final nail in the coffin of a terminally dullproduct.• It also is one more nail in the coffin of formaldecor.• In the end, it was also the issue which secured a vitalnail in the coffin of Britain's nucleardream.
4.as hard/tough as nailsvery tough and not easily frightened, or not caring about the effects of your actions on other people 铁石心肠的,冷酷无情的;非常坚强的
Examples from the Corpus
as hard/tough as nails• Willie O'Connor is as hard as nails and Liam Simpson takes no prisoners.
5on the nail
a)British EnglishBrEPAY FOR if you pay money on the nail, you pay it immediately 当即,当场〔付款〕
b)especially American EnglishAmECORRECT completely correct 准确地
They got it absolutely on the nail.
他们完全正确。
Examples from the Corpus
on the nail• I bet they paid their £1.80 on the nail when they got the magazine.• The Tories got it absolutely on the nail.• The first one mounted the runway and briskly walked its length, barefooton the nail points.• She brought the hammer down on the nail.• The lavatories also had a birthday, and Dad left ours unlocked with plenty of freshnewspaperon the nail.• Not paying on the nail could be extremely expensive.
1[always + adverbadv/prepositionprep]TATTACH to fasten something to something else with nails 钉,将…钉牢
nail something to something
A sign saying ‘No Fishing’ had been nailed to the tree.
树上钉着一块写有“禁止钓鱼”的牌子。
nail something down
The lid was firmly nailed down.
盖子被钉得牢牢的。
nail something up (=permanently close a window or door by fixing something across it using nails) 〔用钉子〕封死〔门或窗〕
The windows had been nailed up.
窗户被封死了。
2informalSCPCATCH to catch someone and prove that they are guilty of a crime or something bad 抓住,逮住
It took us 10 years to nail the guy who killed our daughter.
我们花了十年时间,终于将杀害我们女儿的那个家伙绳之以法。
nail somebody for something
The state police finally nailed him for fraud.
州警方最终以诈骗罪逮捕了他。
3informal if you nail something, you succeed in getting it, after a lot of time or effort 〔花费很多时间或精力而〕得到
She finally nailed her dream job.
她终于找到了理想的工作。
n4informal to do something perfectly, especially when singing or performing
I thought that song might be too big for you, but you absolutely nailed it!
5.nail a lie/mythBritish EnglishBrE informalLIE/TELL A LIE to prove that what someone has said is completely untrue 揭穿谎言
6.nail your colours to the mastBritish EnglishBrE to say clearly and publicly which ideas or which people you support 明确表态
7.nail somebody to the wall/crossespecially American EnglishAmE to punish someone severely 严惩某人
Examples from the Corpus
nail somebody to the wall/cross• He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.• Povertyhung about the place like they'd framed it and nailed it to the walls.
8nail somebody/something ↔ downphrasal verbphr v informal