toughness
Britishnoun
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the quality or an instance of being tough
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metallurgy the ability of a metal to withstand repeated twisting and bending, measured by the energy in kilojoules needed to break it See brittleness softness
Vocabulary lists containing toughness
Engineering - Introductory
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Mechanical Engineering
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Structural Engineering
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Merv always believed that the toughness of ‘Jeopardy!’ is what made it good.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
The toughness of these larvae suggests that pressure alone may not fully explain why insects never established themselves throughout the ocean.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
For Homan, the spectacle is especially revealing because toughness is his entire brand.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
Lacaze attributes her toughness to her modest upbringing in Brisbane, Australia, where she was the fourth of five children behind three brothers who tried to nab the food from her plate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
And you’d be right, because being breakable has nothing to do with toughness.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.