tough

[ tuhf ]

/ tʌf /

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See synonyms for: tough / tougher / toughest / toughness 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR tough

1 firm, hard.

5 durable.

6 inflexible.

See synonyms for tough on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR tough

1 fragile.

5 feeble, weak.

See antonyms for tough on Thesaurus.com

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about tough

hang tough, Slang. hang (def. 60).

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)

OTHER WORDS FROM tough

toughly, adverbtoughness, nounsu·per·tough, adjectiveun·tough, adjective

un·tough·ly, adverbun·tough·ness, noun

Words nearby tough

touch-up, touchwood, touchy, touchy-feely, Touggourt, tough, tough break, toughen, toughie, toughish, tough it out

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tough in a sentence

Our last game we were coming off Lewis & Clark, and that was a tough game.
For this college football team, covid means the season starts in February — with Senior Day|Glynn A. Hill|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
This is a way for animals to break down tough plant material like grass.
How do you build a centaur?|Bethany Brookshire|February 10, 2021|Science News For Students
He spent the entire ride explaining how he was tough on the gloves while he skied but rewaterproofed them as often as once a week during the season.
The Best Ski Gloves Are the Simplest Ones|Joe Jackson|February 10, 2021|Outside Online
If not, gathering about 14,000 signatures in 120 days will be very tough.
Morning Report: The Deal With the Jen Campbell Recall|Voice of San Diego|February 9, 2021|Voice of San Diego

I learned some very tough lessons during some very tough times.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace on the Capitol insurrection: ‘We need to rebuild our party’|KK Ottesen|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
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
Although tough environmental controls were put in place in 2000, enforcement has been haphazard.
Goodbye, Bahamas. Hello, Havana!|Clive Irving|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was also an occasion for voluptuary displays of tough-mindedness.
The Media's Pro-Torture Cheerleaders|Jedediah Purdy|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But this paper was a very tough, fibrous substance, and would resist quite a heavy blow as well as keep out the cold.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
"Tough—but most of us have been there, one time or another," Goodell observed sympathetically; and with that the subject rested.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
You know that I come of tough fiber—of that old Creole race of Pontelliers that dry up and finally blow away.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Another tough-looking man ran out of the building and jumped into the red car.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run|Stanley R. Matthews
But it was tough on Clip to run into a relative and find him passing smoke-signals along for that prince of rascals, Dangerfield.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run|Stanley R. Matthews

British Dictionary definitions for tough

tough

/ (tʌf) /

adjective

strong or resilient; durablea tough material

not tenderhe could not eat the tough steak

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

rough or pugnaciousa tough gangster

resolute or intractablea tough employer

difficult or troublesome to do or deal witha tough problem

informal unfortunate or unluckyit's tough on him

noun

a rough, vicious, or pugnacious person

adverb

informal violently, aggressively, or intractablyto 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, adjectivetoughly, 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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other 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

tough

OTHER WORDS FOR tough

OPPOSITES FOR tough

Idioms about tough

Origin of tough

OTHER WORDS FROM tough

Words nearby tough

Words related to tough

How to use tough in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tough

Derived forms of tough

Word Origin for tough

Other Idioms and Phrases with tough