Advertisement
Advertisement
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
In his one start this season, Martin played fearlessly in one of college football’s toughest environments.
When it comes to indifference, after Fletcher's first visit many more Sudanese and aid workers will be watching closely, hoping he can make a difference in this "toughest crisis in the world".
It means also confronting the worst possible outcomes and the tough, transformative work that lies ahead.
"They both love the environment and love where they live, but it's just going to be tough for them."
"It's always going to be tough against a side coached by Joe Schmidt," said Irish captain Doris.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse