tough

[ tuhf ]

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.

Idioms about tough

hang tough, Slang. hang (def. 62).
tough it out, Informal. to endure or resist hardship or adversity.

Origin of tough

First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective); Old English tōh; compare Dutch taai, German zäh(e)

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

Other words from tough

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

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

How to use tough in a sentence

“The closer we get to ‘16, the tougher it’s going to be, so I hope we start quickly,” he said.
Can This Republican Bring the GOP Back to Its Senses on Immigration? | Tim Mak | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Have a kid here –what some pejoratively refer to as an “anchor baby” – and it is tougher to be deported.
The Progressive Case Against Birthright Citizenship | Keli Goff | December 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Tougher regulations on tank cars and oil-by-rail make sense.
Why the Keystone XL Pipeline May Not Be Built | Robert Bryce | November 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The good doctor gave as good as he got in one of the tougher interview environments around.
Dr. Kent Goes Toe-to-Toe With Colbert On Ebola | Kent Sepkowitz | October 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Political pressure was mounting tonight from veteran Conservative politicians on Cameron to take much tougher action against IS.
Will The Latest ISIS Beheading Move Britain To Tougher Action? | Jamie Dettmer | September 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

But our forebears were composed of less delicate nerves and tougher thews and sinews than ourselves.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries | Charles G. Harper
Mrs Mason worked away as hard as any of them; but she was older and tougher; and, besides, the gains were hers.
Ruth | Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
In metal bridges wrought iron has been replaced by mild steel—a stronger, tougher and better material.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 | Various
But in none of his stories did Alger ever portray a tougher background or give it a bigger skyrocket finish.
David Lannarck, Midget | George S. Harney
You look tougher than ever, and here am I growing palpably old.
Paul Patoff | F. Marion Crawford

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)

Origin of tough

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

Derived forms of tough

toughish, adjective
toughly, adverb

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

Browse