Word forms: comparative tougher, superlative toughest, plural, 3rd person singular presenttense, plural toughs, present participle toughing, past tense, past participle toughed
1. adjective
A tough person is strong and determined, and can tolerate difficulty or suffering.
He built up a reputation as a tough businessman.
She is tough and ambitious.
Synonyms: strong, determined, aggressive, high-powered More Synonyms of tough
toughnessuncountable noun
Mrs Potter has a reputation for toughness and determination.
2. adjective
If you describe someone as tough, you mean that they are rough and violent.
He had shot three people dead, earning himself a reputation as a tough guy.
Synonyms: violent, rough, vicious, ruthless More Synonyms of tough
A tough is a tough person.
Three burly toughs elbowed their way to the front.
3. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A tough place or area is considered to have a lot of crime and violence.
She doesn't seem cut out for this tough neighbourhood.
Arthur grew up in a tough city.
Synonyms: rough, wild, criminal, violent More Synonyms of tough
4. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A tough way of life or period of time is difficult or full of suffering.
She had a pretty tough childhood.
It's been a tough day.
He was having a really tough time at work.
Synonyms: harsh, hard, awful, grim More Synonyms of tough
5. adjective [ADJECTIVE to-infinitive]
A tough task or problem is difficult to do or solve.
It was a very tough decision but we feel we made the right one.
Whoever wins the election is going to have a tough job getting the economy back onits feet.
It may be tough to raise cash.
Change is often tough to deal with.
Synonyms: difficult, hard, puzzling, baffling More Synonyms of tough
6. adjective
Tough policies or actions are strict and firm.
He is known for taking a tough line on security.
He announced tough measures to limit the money supply.
Synonyms: strict, severe, stern, hard More Synonyms of tough
7. adjective
A tough substance is strong, and difficult to break, cut, or tear.
In industry, diamond can form a tough, non-corrosive coating for tools.
...dark brown beans with a rather tough outer skin.
8. adjective
Tough meat is difficult to cut and chew.
The steak was tough and the peas were like bullets.
Synonyms: chewy, fibrous, leathery, stringy More Synonyms of tough
9.
See hang tough
10. a tough row to hoe
11. a tough nut
Phrasal verbs:
See tough out
More Synonyms of tough
tough in British English
(tʌf)
adjective
1.
strong or resilient; durable
a tough material
2.
not tender
she could not eat the tough steak
3.
having a great capacity for endurance; hardy and fit
a tough mountaineer
4.
rough or pugnacious
a tough gangster
5.
resolute or intractable
a tough employer
6.
difficult or troublesome to do or deal with
a tough problem
7. informal
unfortunate or unlucky
it's tough on him
noun
8.
a rough, vicious, or pugnacious person
adverb
9. informal
violently, aggressively, or intractably
to treat someone tough
10. hang tough
verb
11. (transitive) slang
to stand firm, hold out against (a difficulty or difficult situation) (esp in tough it out)
Derived forms
toughish (ˈtoughish)
adjective
toughly (ˈtoughly)
adverb
Word origin
Old English tōh; related to Old High German zāhi tough, Old Norse tā trodden ground in front of a house
tough in American English
(tʌf)
adjective
1.
strong but pliant; that will bend, twist, etc. without tearing or breaking
2.
that will not cut or chew easily
tough steak
3.
strongly cohesive; glutinous; viscous; sticky
tough putty
4.
a.
strong of physique; robust; hardy
b.
displaying mental or moral firmness
5.
hard to convince or influence; stubborn
6.
practical and realistic rather than emotional or sentimental
7.
overly aggressive; brutal or rough
8.
a.
very difficult; toilsome
b.
vigorous or violent
a tough fight
9. Informal
unfavorable; bad
a tough break
10. US, Slang
fine; excellent
a generalized term of approval
noun US
11.
a tough person; thug
Idioms:
tough it out
tough out
Derived forms
toughly (ˈtoughly)
adverb
toughness (ˈtoughness)
noun
Word origin
ME < OE toh, akin to Ger zäh, tough, viscous, prob. < IE base *denk-, to bite > tongs
More idioms containing
tough
hang tough
a tough cookie
a tough nut to crack
a tough row to hoe
tough as old boots
Examples of 'tough' in a sentence
tough
Your new love has a tough job and unusual pets.
The Sun (2016)
It is time to be tough on knife crime and tough on the causes of knife crime.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
This was a tough game for the back row.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Sprint races take that real tough endurance element out.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Playing their music in front of tens of thousands of people is a tough job to give up.
The Sun (2016)
POLICE are to get tough new powers to protect stalking victims.
The Sun (2016)
He said it remained the toughest manoeuvre, and he had often seen stunt men preparing at the top with shaky knees.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
A tough deal for the City would mean pain across the country.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He said: 'It is a tough league and you can see how tight it is from top to bottom.
The Sun (2016)
The richest learning comes from when people give tough feedback.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
You back a tougher clamp on the benefits bill.
The Sun (2015)
This is a rough and tough agenda.
Piercy, Nigel Market-led Strategic Change (1991)
It was a really tough game and we won the battle.
The Sun (2014)
They are now forced to get tough about controlling crime in an attempt to regain lost legitimacy.
de Haan, Willem The Politics of Redress - crime, punishment and penal abolition (1989)
Now fears are mounting officials will be under pressure to take a tougher line during matches.
The Sun (2014)
We are getting tough with those few irresponsible retailers.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We will hang tough until the end.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They will always have some successes but we can make their job a little tougher.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
You saw how strong and tough he was.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We know it will be a tough game for us.
The Sun (2006)
The underlying trend is tough and will remain that way.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Now his tough stand has paid off.
The Sun (2006)
We show how to maintain your lifestyle when times are tough.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He bowls himself in tough situations and backs his ability.
The Sun (2008)
The way he handled us proved he is a tough and determined man when it comes to business.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It can deal with the tough stuff early and have time to get it right before the next election.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Had a tough day at work?
Christianity Today (2000)
He is durable, tough and people expected him to cause me a lot of problems.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Not that the competition is tough, given the behaviour of some of his peers.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He said: 'It was tough.
The Sun (2008)
In other languages
tough
British English: tough /tʌf/ ADJECTIVE
A tough person has a strong character and can tolerate difficulty or hardship.
He built up a reputation as a tough businessman.
American English: tough
Arabic: قَاسٍ
Brazilian Portuguese: resistente
Chinese: 强硬的
Croatian: čvrst
Czech: pevný
Danish: barsk
Dutch: taai
European Spanish: fuerte resistente
Finnish: vahva
French: dur ferme
German: zäh
Greek: σκληρός
Italian: duro
Japanese: 丈夫な
Korean: 질긴
Norwegian: tøff
Polish: nieustępliwy
European Portuguese: resistente
Romanian: dur
Russian: жесткий
Latin American Spanish: fuerte
Swedish: tuff
Thai: ที่ทนทาน
Turkish: sağlam
Ukrainian: жорсткий
Vietnamese: gai góc
All related terms of 'tough'
tough guy
a strong man who is not easily injured and is able to deal with difficult or violent situations
tough law
The law is a system of rules that a society or government develops in order to deal with crime , business agreements , and social relationships . You can also use the law to refer to the people who work in this system.
tough out
If you tough out a difficult situation , you do not give in or show any weakness in that situation.
hang tough
If someone who is trying to achieve something hangs tough , they remain determined and do not give up, even when there are difficulties or problems.
tough love
Tough love is the practice of being very strict with someone in order to help them overcome a problem with their behaviour.
tough race
A race is a competition to see who is the fastest , for example in running , swimming , or driving.
tough shit
Tough shit can be used as a way of telling someone that they will have to accept a situation they do not like because they have no choice .
tough task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
tough titty
(often used dismissively ) regrettable
tough action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
tough battle
A battle is a conflict in which different people or groups compete in order to achieve success or control.
tough cookie
If you say that someone is a tough cookie , you mean that they have a strong and determined character .
tough-minded
practical, unsentimental , stern, or intractable
tough penalty
A penalty is a punishment that someone is given for doing something which is against a law or rule.
tough stance
Your stance on a particular matter is your attitude to it.
tough target
A target is a result that you are trying to achieve.
tough it out
to remain firm in the face of difficulty , often, specif., in a brazen or defiant way
tough opponent
In a sporting contest , your opponent is the person who is playing against you.
tough question
A question is a problem, matter, or point which needs to be considered.
tough standard
A standard is a level of quality or achievement , especially a level that is thought to be acceptable .
a tough cookie
a person who is very determined to get what they want
tough environment
Someone's environment is all the circumstances , people, things, and events around them that influence their life.
tough regulation
Regulations are rules made by a government or other authority in order to control the way something is done or the way people behave .
tough restrictions
A restriction is an official rule that limits what you can do or that limits the amount or size of something.
competition is tough
Competition is a situation in which two or more people or groups are trying to get something which not everyone can have.
tough as old boots
having a strong and independent character
a tough row to hoe
a situation which is very difficult to deal with
a big ask
something which you have been asked to do that is very difficult or demanding
a tough nut to crack
a problem that is difficult to solve or a person who is difficult to deal with or to defeat in an argument or competition
a tough nut a hard nut
If you think someone is difficult to deal with, you can say they are a tough nut or a hard nut .
hard nut to crack
a person, problem , or thing difficult to understand or deal with
a hard nut to crack/ a tough nut to crack
If you say that something is a hard nut to crack or a tough nut to crack , you mean that it is difficult to do or to understand .
a hard row to hoe
If you say that someone has a hard row to hoe or a tough row to hoe , you mean that they are in a difficult situation and have many problems to deal with.