tough

1 of 4

adjective

tougher; toughest
1
: difficult to accomplish, resolve, endure, or deal with
a tough question
tough luck
2
: capable of enduring strain, hardship, or severe labor
tough soldiers
3
: unruly, rowdyish
started hanging out with the tough kids
4
a
: strong or firm in texture but flexible and not brittle
b
: not easily chewed
tough meat
5
: characterized by severity or uncompromising determination
tough laws
tough discipline
see also get tough on
6
: very hard to influence : stubborn
a tough negotiator
7
: stubbornly fought
a tough contest
8
: marked by absence of softness or sentimentality
a tough critic
9
toughly adverb

tough

2 of 4

adverb

: in a tough manner (see tough entry 1)
talking tough

tough

3 of 4

noun

: a tough and violent person : rowdy

tough

4 of 4

verb

toughed; toughing; toughs

transitive verb

: to bear unflinchingly : endure
usually used with out especially in the phrase tough it out
Choose the Right Synonym for tough

strong, stout, sturdy, stalwart, tough, tenacious mean showing power to resist or to endure.

strong may imply power derived from muscular vigor, large size, structural soundness, intellectual or spiritual resources.

strong arms
the defense has a strong case

stout suggests an ability to endure stress, pain, or hard use without giving way.

stout hiking boots

sturdy implies strength derived from vigorous growth, determination of spirit, solidity of construction.

a sturdy table
people of sturdy independence

stalwart suggests an unshakable dependability.

stalwart environmentalists

tough implies great firmness and resiliency.

a tough political opponent

tenacious suggests strength in seizing, retaining, clinging to, or holding together.

tenacious farmers clinging to an age-old way of life

Examples of tough in a Sentence

Adjective I have a tough constitution, and my profession taught me how to compete against long odds and big obstacles. Lance Armstrong, It's Not About The Bike, (2000) 2001
… Pelletreau had firsthand experience in dealing with Israelis as well as with Arabs and had a reputation for being bold, analytical, and tough as nails. Robert D. Kaplan, The Arabists, 1993
… this wiry, tough, frenetic Algerian with the beneficent smile, who could vault over the bar and stiff-arm a drunk out into the night in less time than it takes to say Edgar Poe, and return, bland as butter, to take up where he left off … William Styron, "The Paris Review," August 1953, in William Styron, This Quiet Dust And Other Writings(1953) 1982
He had on the other hand to preserve his own reputation as a tough D.A. who dealt handily with the criminal classes. E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, (1974) 1975
She had a tough time in college. Are you tough enough for the job? He's been hanging around with a bunch of tough guys. The rug is made of tough material. Adverb He talks tough but he's not really dangerous. Noun One night, after antagonizing a gang of older toughs, he had his face smashed in with a hockey stick. John Harris, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2002
They weren't strong enough to fight Sankoh and his hopped-up young toughs, who number in the thousands. Tom Masland et al., Newsweek, 15 May 2000
The subways provided fine service, except that lately there had been a problem. Packs of young toughs had taken to roaming the cars. Tom Wolf, Harper's, November 1989
didn't want her son hanging out with the neighborhood toughs Verb Summer in New York is coasting the dairy aisle at Safeway.  … It's finding the spot in a subway car where the vent blows strongest and staying there past your stop, toughing it out when the "excuse me, ladies and gentlemen" hard-luck stories blow through. Guy Trebay, Village Voice, 30 July 1991
… they were toughing it out with the help of the greatest ally a macho young cop ever had, booze. Joseph Wambaugh, Lines and Shadows, 1984
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Among voters in this year’s South Carolina Republican primary, AP VoteCast found that close to two-thirds of military veterans and people in veteran households voted for Trump over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Trump’s toughest opponent in the 2024 Republican primary. Dan Merica, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024 The list includes: Whether the incumbent party’s candidate faced a tough challenge for the nomination, and if the economy’s currently in recession. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
Adverb
Zverev hasn’t been able to hang tough in the arenas where champions are made. Tim Ellis, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 As central banks hang tough on interest rates, the 83-year-old billionaire has bravely doubled down, signing some S$1.1 billion ($837 million) worth of deals so far this year. Jonathan Burgos, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
Noun
When a set of tortuous toughs relocate to the neighborhood, his temperament shifts and the scenes increasingly unravel the inner workings of his shaken psyche. Holly Jones, Variety, 23 Sep. 2024 Standout features: Extension for high ceilings, foldable, lightweight Have high ceilings and other tough to reach spaces? Sarah Madaus, Architectural Digest, 26 June 2024
Verb
Women were expected to tough it out and carry on as if nothing had changed. Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 2 Oct. 2024 Quarterback Justin Herbert will try to tough out a high-ankle sprain behind an offensive line that might be without starting tackles Rashawn Slater (pectoral) and Joe Alt (knee). Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tough 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tough.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Adverb, Noun, and Verb

Middle English, from Old English tōh; akin to Old High German zāhi tough

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1801, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tough was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near tough

Cite this Entry

“Tough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tough. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

tough

1 of 2 adjective
1
a
: able to take great force : flexible and not brittle
tough fibers
b
: not easily chewed
tough meat
2
: marked by firmness or determination
a tough policy
3
: able to stand hard work and hardship
tough soldiers
4
: hard to influence : stubborn
a tough bargainer
5
: very difficult
a tough problem
6
: having much crime or bad behavior
a tough neighborhood
toughly adverb
toughness noun

tough

2 of 2 noun
: a tough person : rowdy

More from Merriam-Webster on tough

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