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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Idioms about tough

hang tough, Slang. hang (def. 59).

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

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

How to use tough in a sentence

Here are the places where the company is fighting its toughest challenges to its services as well as its reputation.
Things Are Going Downhill Fast for Uber|Kyle Chayka|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By the end of the night, even the toughest guys are having the greatest time.
Meet the Julia Child of Weed|Justin Jones|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Stand-up comedian Adam Newman encountered one of the toughest rooms any comic could work over the weekend.
NYPD Heckles Comedian During Arrest (NSFW)|Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Good luck getting in, this may prove to be the toughest seat in Dallas restaurant history.
Spain’s Finest Restaurant Pops Up in Texas|Starbucks|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The toughest call here is, of course, exactly what help to provide.
The Unhappy Truth About Ukraine|Leslie H. Gelb|May 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After the battle was over General Lawton declared that it was the toughest contest they had yet undertaken in this war.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Thirty thousand of the toughest aliens in the country, Mr Trent.
Trent's Last Case|E.C. (Edmund Clerihew) Bentley
The air-restorers were going to be the toughest and most expensive to make.
The Planet Strappers|Raymond Zinke Gallun
Simmons' ranch has got the name of being the toughest place to work anywhere round here.
A California Girl|Edward Eldridge
The Ogre was at work cleaving a fallen tree, using wedges formed from the hardest, toughest wood the Indians know.
Indian Legends of Vancouver Island|Alfred Carmichael

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 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