tough

[tuhf]

adjective

tougher, toughest 

1. strong and durable; not easily broken or cut.

   Synonyms: hard, firm
   Antonyms: fragile

2. not brittle or tender.

3. difficult to masticate, as food.

   a tough steak.

4. of viscous consistency, as liquid or semiliquid matter.

   tough molasses.

5. capable of great endurance; sturdy; hardy.

   tough troops.

   Synonyms: durable
   Antonyms: weak, feeble

6. not easily influenced, as a person; unyielding; stubborn.

   a tough man to work for.

   Synonyms: inflexible

7. hardened; incorrigible.

   a tough criminal.

8. difficult to perform, accomplish, or deal with; hard, trying, or troublesome.

   a tough problem.

9. hard to bear or endure (often used ironically).

   tough luck.

10. vigorous; severe; violent.

    a tough struggle.

11. vicious; rough; rowdyish.

    a tough character;

    a tough neighborhood.

12. practical, realistic, and lacking in sentimentality; tough-minded.

13. Slang.,  remarkably excellent; first-rate; great.

adverb

1. in a tough manner.

noun

1. a ruffian; rowdy.

tough

/ tʌf /

adjective

1. strong or resilient; durable

   a tough material

2. not tender

   he could not eat the tough steak

3. having a great capacity for endurance; hardy and fit

   a tough mountaineer

4. rough or pugnacious

   a tough gangster

5. resolute or intractable

   a tough employer

6. difficult or troublesome to do or deal with

   a tough problem

7. informal,  unfortunate or unlucky

   it's tough on him

noun

1. a rough, vicious, or pugnacious person

adverb

1. informal,  violently, aggressively, or intractably

   to treat someone tough

2. informal,  to be or appear to be strong or determined

verb

1. slang,  (tr) to stand firm, hold out against (a difficulty or difficult situation) (esp in tough it out )

Other Word Forms

• toughish adjective
• toughly adverb
• toughness noun
• supertough adjective
• untough adjective
• untoughly adverb
• untoughness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tough¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective); Old English tōh; compare Dutch taai, German zäh(e)

Word History and Origins

Origin of tough¹

Old English tōh; related to Old High German zāhi tough, Old Norse tā trodden ground in front of a house

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. hang tough, hang.

2. tough it out, to endure or resist hardship or adversity.

More idioms and phrases containing tough

• get tough
• gut (tough) it out
• hang tough
• hard (tough) act to follow
• hard (tough) nut to crack

Example Sentences

“Attention law enforcement” a robotic voice announces over an opening scene of a flashing siren in what looks like a tough part of an unidentified city.

From Los Angeles Times

“I knew it was going to be tough, but we all believed he was going to be fine; it was just a matter of time and figuring it out.”

From Los Angeles Times

But Putin is proving to be tougher than he realized.

From Salon

But its administration highlights how tough the "value sector of retail is finding both trading conditions and the cost of operating on UK high streets", said retail analyst Catherine Shuttleworth.

From BBC

And injury has again robbed Tuchel of Stones' talent and his experience will be missed when England head to Serbia next week for their toughest match of the World Cup qualifying campaign.

From BBC

Related Words

• desperate 
• fierce 
• hard 
• hard-nosed 
• harsh 
• narrow 
• resolute 
• severe 
• stern 
• stiff 
• strict 
• terrible