tough

[ tuhf ]

/ tʌf /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR tough ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, tough·er, tough·est.

strong and durable; not easily broken or cut.

not brittle or tender.

difficult to masticate, as food: a tough steak.

of viscous consistency, as liquid or semiliquid matter: tough molasses.

capable of great endurance; sturdy; hardy: tough troops.

not easily influenced, as a person; unyielding; stubborn: a tough man to work for.

hardened; incorrigible: a tough criminal.

difficult to perform, accomplish, or deal with; hard, trying, or troublesome: a tough problem.

hard to bear or endure (often used ironically): tough luck.

vigorous; severe; violent: a tough struggle.

vicious; rough; rowdyish: a tough character; a tough neighborhood.

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

Slang. remarkably excellent; first-rate; great.

adverb

in a tough manner.

noun

a ruffian; rowdy.

Idioms for tough

hang tough, Slang. hang(def 56).

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

Origin of tough

before 900; Middle English (adj.); Old English tōh; compare Dutch taai, German zäh(e)

SYNONYMS FOR tough

1 firm, hard.

5 durable.

6 inflexible.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR tough ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR tough

1 fragile.

5 feeble, weak.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR tough ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM tough

tough·ly, adverb tough·ness, noun su·per·tough, adjective un·tough, adjective

un·tough·ly, adverb un·tough·ness, noun

Words nearby tough

touchwood, touchy, touchy-feely, touché, touggourt, tough, tough break, tough it out, tough love, tough nut, tough pitch

Example sentences from the Web for tough

His flesh is sagging a bit, but he is still trim and looks lean, sinewy and tough.

The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile |Robert Ward |January 3, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
“You ask me my motivation,” Marvin says, moving back into his tough guy persona again.

The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile |Robert Ward |January 3, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
After a bunch of tough talk, this round of the hacker-on-hacker fight nevered materialized.

The Attack on the Hidden Internet |Marc Rogers |December 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But it certainly contributed, and purposely so, to the defeat of the tough Likud hardliner Yitzhak Shamir in 1992.

The Inside Story of U.S. Meddling in Israel’s Elections |Aaron David Miller |December 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

It was tough for a while, but I knew who I was, so I stayed true to it.

Exclusive: Michael Phelps’s Intersex Self-Proclaimed Girlfriend, Taylor Lianne Chandler, Tells All |Aurora Snow |November 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In high school he had sought to establish himself as a hardened sinner—a drinker and tough citizen.

Gargoyles |Ben Hecht
It looks as if the lady-secretary's luncheon would be a tough proposition.

Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 150, January 26, 1916 |Various
"But you must admit that it is a tough proposition to mine here," said Mr. Brewster.

Polly and Eleanor |Lillian Elizabeth Roy
The guards and most of the personnel were experienced and tough.

The Planet Strappers |Raymond Zinke Gallun
It had been a tough year, filled with intensive study in the quest for an officer's commission in the Solar Guard.

The Revolt on Venus |Carey Rockwell

British Dictionary definitions for tough

tough

/ (tʌf) /

adjective

strong or resilient; durable a tough material

not tender he could not eat the tough steak

having a great capacity for endurance; hardy and fit a tough mountaineer

rough or pugnacious a tough gangster

resolute or intractable a tough employer

difficult or troublesome to do or deal with a tough problem

informal unfortunate or unlucky it's tough on him

noun

a rough, vicious, or pugnacious person

adverb

informal violently, aggressively, or intractably to treat someone tough

hang tough informal to be or appear to be strong or determined

verb

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

Derived forms of tough

toughish, adjective toughly, adverb

Word Origin for tough

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

Idioms and Phrases with tough

tough

In addition to the idioms beginning with tough

tough break
tough it out
tough nut
tough row to hoe
tough sledding

also see:

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

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tough

adjective, tough·er, tough·est.

adverb

noun

Idioms for tough

Origin of tough

SYNONYMS FOR tough

ANTONYMS FOR tough

OTHER WORDS FROM tough

Words nearby tough

Example sentences from the Web for tough

British Dictionary definitions for tough

adjective

noun

adverb

verb

Derived forms of tough

Word Origin for tough

Idioms and Phrases with tough

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tough

adjective, tough·er, tough·est.

adverb

noun

Idioms for tough

Origin of tough

SYNONYMS FOR tough

ANTONYMS FOR tough

OTHER WORDS FROM tough

Words nearby tough

Words related to tough

Example sentences from the Web for tough

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for tough

adjective

noun

adverb

verb

Derived forms of tough

Word Origin for tough

Idioms and Phrases with tough

British Dictionary definitions for tough