tough

[ tuhf ]

/ tʌf /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tough 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.

Nearby words

touchwood, touchy, touchy-feely, touché, touggourt, tough, tough break, tough it out, tough love, tough nut, tough pitch

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)

SYNONYMS FOR tough

1 firm, hard.

5 durable.

6 inflexible.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tough ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR tough

1 fragile.

5 feeble, weak.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR tough ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

tough·ly, adverbtough·ness, 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. 2019

Examples from the Web for toughest

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
When God gives us wills like iron we can drive through difficulties as the iron share cuts through the toughest soil.
My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year|John Henry Jowett
Then there was the pump house; for even the toughest of old “salts” must have fresh water.
Killykinick|Mary T. Waggaman
We agree on time limits, tough work requirements, and the toughest possible child support enforcement.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006|Various
Page 6: 'toughtest' may be correct (poetic licence), or a typo for 'toughest'.
Punch, or the London Charivari, January 5th, 1895|Various
What I see is that he's up against about the toughest proposition I've ever known.
T. Tembarom|Frances Hodgson Burnett

British Dictionary definitions for toughest

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 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 (1 of 2)

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.

Word Origin and History for toughest (1 of 2)

tough

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

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

tough

adjective, tough·er, tough·est.

adverb

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of tough

Examples from the Web for toughest

British Dictionary definitions for toughest

tough

adjective

noun

adverb

verb

Word Origin for tough

Word Origin and History for toughest (1 of 2)

tough

Word Origin and History for toughest (1 of 2)

tough

Idioms and Phrases with toughest

tough