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definitions

tough

[tuhf]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tough ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, tough·er, tough·est.

adverb

in a tough manner.

noun

a ruffian; rowdy.

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RELATED WORDS

tenacious, vigorous, stiff, solid, hard, tight, resilient, healthy, harsh, resolute, terrible, strict, severe, desperate, stern, fierce, narrow, hard-nosed, troublesome, arduous

Idioms

    hang tough, Slang. hang(def 56).
    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)
Related formstough·ly, adverbtough·ness, nounsu·per·tough, adjectiveun·tough, adjectiveun·tough·ly, adverbun·tough·ness, noun

Synonyms for tough

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tough ON THESAURUS.COM
1. firm, hard. 5. durable. 6. inflexible.

Antonyms for tough

1. fragile. 5. feeble, weak.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for toughest

Contemporary Examples of toughest

Historical Examples of toughest

British Dictionary definitions for toughest

tough

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 Formstoughish, 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
Word Origin and History for toughest

tough

adj.

Old English toh "difficult to break or chew," from Proto-Germanic *tankhuz (cf. Middle Low German tege, Middle Dutch taey, Dutch taai, Old High German zach, German zäh). See rough for spelling change.

Figurative sense of "strenuous, difficult, hard to beat" is first recorded c.1200; that of "hard to do, trying, laborious" is from 1610s. Verb tough it "endure the experience" is first recorded 1830, American English. Tough guy first recorded 1932. Tough-minded first recorded 1907 in William James. Tough luck first recorded 1912; tough shit is from 1946.

tough

n.

"street ruffian," 1866, American English, from tough (adj.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with toughest

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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.