set in stone
10
3.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
escrito en piedra
- Nothing's set in stone.
There's things like paper which are kind of set in stone, you know.
- There's things like paper which are kind of set in stone, you know.
- It's all so, you know, nothing is set in stone.
- As far as names go, we don't have a name completely set in stone.
- But in terms of the free principles, it's just nothing is set in stone.
- Going down, going up, whichever it might be, pre paying is a way to make sure it's set in stone.
- I have a genre of names that I'm vibing, but nothing set in stone yet.
- I'm not pressuring you into anything, but you know, maybe, you know, maybe the winners are set in stone, but maybe we can change their mind a little bit.
- It is almost set in stone that a W German state aligned with the Western powers will serve as the frontline in a new conflict.
- If your grades are already set in stone, then focus on your research and consider doing one or two research years to build your CV build your connections.
Examples
-
But nothing is set in stone.
-
- Nothing's set in stone.
-
Because it's not like the date of this trial was set in stone from on high.
-
That is set in stone.
-
It's set in stone now.
-
But it's not set in stone.
Academic text (2011) -
But the pensions of government employees are generally set in stone.
Academic text (2010) -
"Nothing is set in stone, though I don't think we'll do any more shows this summer."
Blog text (13) -
But nothing is set in stone, said Katie Walker, Southwest Light Rail coordinator for Hennepin County.
Blog text (13) -
The plans for the new building are set in stone and cannot be changed at this point.
Synonyms
14
7.3
No one can change it after it is made
8
4.8
Very strong belief or feeling that cannot be changed
5
4.0
You cannot make it different
4
4.4
Very firm and cannot be changed or weakened
4
5.7
Fixed and not able to be changed
2
6.4
Impossible to change
1
8.8
Cannot be ended or broken, for example a marriage
1
7.4
Not able to be changed later
1
9.9
A right or claim that cannot be taken away
Not able to be changed or replaced
No one can change it
Already decided and cannot be changed
Fixed and not able to be changed
Antonyms
How Permanent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'fixed and unchangeable' is directly inferable from combining 'set' (to fix or determine) with 'in stone' (placed within a hard, durable material), so a learner who knows the constituents can deduce permanence. This is a common, easily motivated metaphor (and has parallels in many languages), so the sense is immediately accessible rather than highly idiomatic.
Etymology
The idiom set in stone may come from the old practice of carving rules into rock: once words are set into stone, they cannot be changed. So it means 'fixed and unchangeable'.