“Tooth and Nail” Meaning, Origin and Examples

Last updated on October 7, 2024 by Liam Daniel

Have you ever heard the term tooth and nail being used in an English conversation and wondered what the speaker was talking about? We are going to take a look at the meaning of this phrase as well as finding out where it first came from. We are also going to be looking at how the phrase can be used in a conversation by looking at some examples of this.

“Tooth and Nail” Meaning, Origin and Usage

Key Takeaways

  • The phrase “tooth and nail” means to fight or struggle with intense effort and determination, using all available means. It suggests a fierce, all-out effort to achieve something or defend oneself, often in a difficult situation.
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Tooth and Nail – Created by 7ESL

Tooth and Nail Meaning

The phrase “tooth and nail” means to fight or struggle with great determination and intensity. It conveys the idea of using all one’s resources and efforts to achieve a goal or to defend oneself. The imagery suggests a fierce and relentless battle, akin to fighting with both teeth (to bite) and nails (to scratch).

Examples:

  • “She fought tooth and nail for her rights during the negotiation.”
  • “The team defended their title tooth and nail, showing incredible tenacity.”

Origin of this term

The origin of the phrase dates back to the 14th century, appearing in various forms in English literature. The expression highlights the idea of using every possible means to prevail in a struggle, whether physical or metaphorical.

Usage of “Tooth and Nail”

  • In a competitive setting:

“The teams fought tooth and nail for the championship title.”

  • Describing a personal struggle:

“She fought tooth and nail to defend her rights in court.”

  • In a business context:

“We had to fight tooth and nail to win the contract against our competitors.”

  • Referring to a difficult task:

“He’s been working tooth and nail to finish his project before the deadline.”

Related Terms to “Tooth and Nail”

  • Fight like hell – to fight with great intensity and determination.
  • Go to war – to engage in a vigorous and intense conflict or competition.
  • Bite the bullet – to endure a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage.
  • Battle fiercely – to engage in a conflict with great intensity and determination.
  • Struggle tooth and claw – similar to “tooth and nail,” emphasizing a fierce struggle.
  • Pull out all the stops – to use all available resources to achieve something.
  • Leave no stone unturned – to make every possible effort in pursuit of a goal.
  • Fight with all your might – to put forth maximum effort in a struggle.
  • Go down fighting – to continue to resist or struggle, even when defeat seems inevitable.
  • Stand your ground – to maintain your position or beliefs firmly in the face of opposition.

Other Ways to Say the Idiom

There are many other ways in which you might refer to the meaning of the term tooth and nail, we are now going to see a few examples of this.

  • By every means
  • Fight hard

“Tooth and Nail” Examples

Examples in Statements

You may often hear the use of the term tooth and nail, we are now going to take a look at some examples of sentences in which it might appear.

The first statement is being made in a news report.

  • The couple fought tooth and nail for the return of their children after the kidnapping.

The second statement is being made by a father to his son.

  • I will not let you lose your job, I will fight tooth and nail to make sure that never happens.

Conversation Examples

We are now going to take a look at some examples of conversations in which the term tooth and nail might be seen.

The first is a conversation which is taking place between two people who stand to lose their home.

  • Person 1; “We cannot let the landlord kick us out of our home.”
  • Person 2; “No, we can’t and we will fight tooth and nail if we have to.”

The next conversation is happening between two friends.

  • Person 1; “I reported the theft of my car to the police.”
  • Person 2; “What are they going to do about it?”
  • Person 1; “Well, they’ve promised they will fight tooth and nail to prosecute the person who did it.”

Other examples:

  • We fought tooth and nail to get the route of the new road changed.
  • The twins fight tooth and nail over the slightest disagreement.
  • He fought tooth and nail for 15 months before going to sleep one final night last week.
  • The people in this country fought tooth and nail to protect their common homeland.
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