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tough
[ tuhf ]
adjective
- strong and durable; not easily broken or cut.
Antonyms: fragile
- 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.
Synonyms: durable
- not easily influenced, as a person; unyielding; stubborn:
a tough man to work for.
Synonyms: inflexible
- 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.
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
- slang.tr to stand firm, hold out against (a difficulty or difficult situation) (esp in tough it out )
Derived Forms
- ˈtoughish, adjective
- ˈtoughly, adverb
Other Words From
- toughly adverb
- toughness noun
- super·tough adjective
- un·tough adjective
- un·toughly adverb
- un·toughness noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of tough1
Word History and Origins
Origin of tough1
Idioms and Phrases
- hang tough, Slang. hang ( def 62 ).
- tough it out, Informal. 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
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agreed with the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but that "questions" remained about the nature of a truce as he set out a number of tough conditions.
To the women, he offers support; to the men tough love.
Riordan, trying to win its first state title since 2002, must overcome the Mustangs’ stellar record of winning the toughest regional division in the state.
Despite all the tough guy talk, men who are invested in stereotypical masculinity tend to be especially insecure and even prone to mental health issues.
John Lewis has been trying to win back customers with a recovery plan after a tough few years that saw it cut jobs and close several stores.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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