toughie

American  

[tuhf-ee] / ˈtʌf i /

Or toughy

noun

Informal.

toughies plural

1. a tough person, especially one who is belligerent.

   The sheriff was a local toughie with very little patience for outsiders.

2. a difficult problem or situation.

   That math test was a real toughie!

3. a harsh or blunt book, movie, etc.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• toughies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of toughie

First recorded in 1920–25; tough + -ie

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

toughie toughies

It’s a toughie because you feel like there’s an answer you’re supposed to give and then there’s an answer you wanna give.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2025

Quiz five out of five and this one is a toughie.

From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2024

When the waitress, a toughie who intimidated us when she took our order, brought out the soup, she glared at us as she dropped it at the table.

From New York Times ● Dec. 19, 2021

Group C’s a toughie, and this trip to Stadio San Paolo will be one hell of a test.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 3, 2018

“I knew you were an old toughie the minute I saw you.”

From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis

"We were not toughies and they made us toughies – I became a trained infantry man," he said.

From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2025

That leaves two other toughies as what appear to be the decisive races.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2024

The Supreme Court will end up hearing about 70 cases a year — in theory the toughest of the toughies — and 40% of the time the justices will still issue a unanimous ruling.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 8, 2019

Other KingCo teams expected to be strong include traditional toughies Eastlake and Woodinville.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 7, 2010

Best actor and best actress in a musical are both toughies, but on balance, I'd probably plumb for Rowan Atkinson for Oliver! and Hannah Waddingham for A Little Night Music.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 19, 2010