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tough love
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noun
a mixture of toughness and warmth used in a relationship, especially with an adolescent.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of tough love
First recorded in 1977; after Toughlove, a network of support groups
Words nearby tough love
tough break, toughen, toughie, toughish, tough it out, tough love, tough-minded, toughness, tough nut, tough pitch, tough row to hoe
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use tough love in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for tough love
tough love
noun
the practice of taking a stern attitude towards a relative or friend suffering from an addiction, etc, to help the addict overcome the problem
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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