solid rock
1
3.5
- noun
- Informal
:
piedra sólida
- Talanne passed her hand over a spot on the solid rock.
Examples
-
"Try not to think about the thousand feet of solid rock that these tiny tree stumps are holding over your head," Sam said with malicious glee.
Fiction book (1992) -
In a second at most, the shota kid protagonist of this series is obliterated into the recesses of off-screen, smashing through solid rock.
Blog text (22) -
Knees buckling, she leaned back against the solid rock of the outer wall.
Fiction book (1992) -
Here the earth lay like solid rock beneath his fingers: hard-packed, unturned, frozen winter earth, not the earth on which he and the woman and the boy slept; not that earth, a different earth.
Fiction book (1992) -
They star in an oil rush produced by fracking, a new technology by which oil companies send a chemical cocktail thousands of feet into the earth to break apart solid rock, releasing trapped, prodigious oil reserves.
Blog text (22) -
On the far wall, holographic scenes of star fields gave the impression of endless distance and alleviated Kaylla's knowledge that she lived half a kilometer under solid rock.
Fiction book (1992) -
She found comfort in her grandmother's love, knowing it was a solid rock she could always rely on.
-
In times of crisis, his unwavering support was a solid rock for the entire team.
-
Her determination acted as a solid rock, providing a foundation for her colleagues to follow.
Synonyms
347
3.5
A person who is strong and supports others in hard times
Antonyms
How Reliable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'strong and reliable foundation or support' is directly and predictably built from 'solid' (stable, dependable) + 'rock' (a stable or supporting thing/person), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the metaphorical sense. This adjective+noun composition and the rock-as-stability metaphor are cross-linguistically common, making the expression readily comprehensible.
Etymology
Solid rock comes from the simple image of a hard stone: solid and rock that do not move even in strong storms. So calling someone a solid rock means they are a steady 'foundation' or 'support' you can trust.