Phrase guide

sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me

phrase · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

phrase

Meaning 1

A response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: the pen is mightier than the sword

Antonyms: the tongue wounds more than a lance

History

Etymology

The earliest recording dates from March 1862 in the US, but is implied to have been used earlier.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: ei haukku haavaa tee — a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference
  • Finnish: joka toista haukkuu, sen napa paukkuu — a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference
  • French: la bave du crapaud n'atteint pas la blanche colombe — a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference
  • German: was kümmert's die Eiche wenn die Sau dran schabt — a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference
  • Hindi: लाठी और पत्थर मेरी हड्डियों को तोड़ सकते हैं, लेकिन शब्द मुझे कभी चोट नहीं देंगे (lāṭhī aur patthar merī haḍḍiyõ ko toṛ sakte ha͠i, lekin śabd mujhe kabhī coṭ nahī̃ deṅge) — a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference
  • Polish: kije i kamienie kości mi połamią, ale słowa nigdy mnie nie zranią — a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference
  • Romanian: câinii latră, ursul merge — a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference
  • Romanian: nu mor caii când vor câinii — a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference
  • Russian: хоть горшко́м назови́, то́лько в пе́чку не ставь (xotʹ gorškóm nazoví, tólʹko v péčku ne stavʹ) — a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference
  • Serbo-Croatian: дрвље и камење — a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference
  • Serbo-Croatian: drvlje i kamenje — a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference
  • Spanish: a palabras necias, oídos sordos — a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference