1
a millstone around one's neck
常用比喻，指难以摆脱的负担或障碍。
The old factory has become a millstone around the town's neck.
那座老工厂已成为这座城镇的沉重负担。
磨石；磨盘
millstones — plural of millstone
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
磨石；磨盘
a large round stone used for grinding grain
The old factory has become a millstone around the town's neck.
那座老工厂已成为这座城镇的沉重负担。
用于研磨谷物的大型圆形石磨。
A large round stone used for grinding grain.
(比喻)阻碍或拖累的东西
(figurative) something that hinders or handicaps
用于制作石磨的粗粒砂岩；磨石砂岩。
A coarse-grained sandstone used for making such stones; millstone grit.
难以承受的负担
any load that is difficult to carry
The old millstone was too heavy for one person to lift.
这块旧磨盘太重，一个人抬不动。
In the museum, we saw millstones that were once used to grind corn.
在博物馆里，我们看到了曾经用来磨玉米的磨盘。
The villagers repaired the broken millstone so the mill could work again.
村民们修好了那块破损的磨盘，这样磨坊就能再次运转了。
常用比喻，指难以摆脱的负担或障碍。
The old factory has become a millstone around the town's neck.
那座老工厂已成为这座城镇的沉重负担。
较正式的比喻用法，表示“对……是累赘”。
Her debts were a millstone for the whole family.
她的债务是全家人沉重的负担。
本义用法；millstone 也指一对磨盘中旋转的那块石盘。
In the past, people ground wheat with a millstone.
过去，人们用石磨磨小麦。
Not this
Graduating from college was a millstone in my life.
Use this
Graduating from college was a milestone in my life.
millstone 意为“石磨；沉重的负担”，milestone 则意为“里程碑”。两者拼写相近，但这里想表达的是“人生中的重要事件”，必须用 milestone；用 millstone 会变成“负担”，意思完全相反。
Not this
This debt has become a millstone on my neck.
Use this
This debt has become a millstone around my neck.
表示“成为沉重的负担”的固定搭配是 a millstone around/round one's neck，介词用 around（围绕、套着），不用 on。受中文“脖子上”的影响，学习者容易误用 on。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
沉重的负担；甩不掉的累赘
The failed business became a millstone around his neck.
那家失败的生意成了他的沉重负担。
沉重的债务负担
The country was trapped under a millstone of debt.
这个国家被沉重的债务负担压得喘不过气来。
用磨石磨谷物
The villagers still grind grain with a millstone.
村民仍然用石磨磨谷物。
转动石磨；推磨
An old donkey turned the millstone in the yard.
一头老驴在院子里转动着磨盘。
磨石砂岩（一种粗粒砂岩）
The cliffs are made of millstone grit.
这些悬崖由磨石砂岩构成。
沉重的负担；累赘
The mortgage has become a millstone around their necks.
房贷已成为他们沉重的负担。
目光极其敏锐；一眼看穿
Don't try to lie to her; she can see through a millstone.
别想对她撒谎；她目光敏锐，什么事都一眼看穿。
凡使这信我的一个小子跌倒的，倒不如把大磨石拴在他的颈项上，沉在深海里。
This verse from the Bible (Matthew 18:6) is the origin of the idiom 'a millstone around one's neck,' meaning a heavy and inescapable burden.
这节经文出自《圣经·马太福音》18章6节，是习语 a millstone around one's neck（沉重而无法摆脱的负担）的出处。
Use millstones naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
millstone 拆开是 mill（磨坊）+ stone（石头）：磨坊里沉重的磨石，转不动就成了拖累人的负担。
语域：mixed 常见场景：historical or agricultural description of grain milling、figurative idiom for a heavy burden 这个词作为名词，字面义“磨盘/磨石”通常用于历史、农业或工业描述；比喻义“累赘、沉重负担”比较常见于文学或口语中，常用搭配如 a millstone around one's neck。具体语气取决于语境。
Words ending in -one are pronounced /oʊn/ in stone, tone, phone, bone, throne, and alone, matching the final -stone in millstone. Beware lookalikes done, gone, and none, which are spelled with -one but pronounced /dʌn/, /ɡɔːn/ (or /ɡɑːn/), and /nʌn/.
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.