bone in one's body

English

Noun

bone in one's body

1. The slightest shred of some personal characteristic (specified with a preceding adjective).
   • 2006, Robert C. Solomon, Living with Nietzsche, page 95:

     One might think, reading through his works, that the man did not have a sympathetic bone in his body.

   • 2012, Peter Devine, True to the Code: Stories of the American Character:

     The dwelling would have easily had rooms to spare for a couple of weary travelers, but the caretaker was an exceedingly cautious man without a compassionate bone in his body.

Related terms

• with every bone in one's body