tough
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1tough
adjective \ˈtəf\Definition of TOUGH
1
a : strong or firm in texture but flexible and not brittle b : not easily chewed <tough meat>
3
: characterized by severity or uncompromising determination <tough laws> <tough discipline>
4
: capable of enduring strain, hardship, or severe labor <tough soldiers>
5
: very hard to influence : stubborn <a tough negotiator>
6
: difficult to accomplish, resolve, endure, or deal with <a tough question> <tough luck>
7
: stubbornly fought <a tough contest>
9
: marked by absence of softness or sentimentality <a tough critic>
— tough·ly adverb
— tough·ness noun
See Examples of TOUGH
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- … 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
- [+]more
Origin of TOUGH
Middle English, from Old English tōh; akin to Old High German zāhi tough
First Known Use: before 12th century
2tough
adverb \ˈtəf\Definition of TOUGH
: in a tough manner (see 1tough) <talking tough>
Examples of TOUGH
- He talks tough but he's not really dangerous.
Origin of TOUGH
(see 1tough)
First Known Use: 14th century
3tough
noun \ˈtəf\Definition of TOUGH
: a tough and violent person : rowdy
Examples of TOUGH
- <didn't want her son hanging out with the neighborhood toughs>
- 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
- [+]more
Origin of TOUGH
(see 1tough)
First Known Use: 1801
4tough
transitive verb \ˈtəf\Definition of TOUGH
: to bear unflinchingly : endure —usually used with out especially in the phrase tough it out
Examples of TOUGH
- 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
- [+]more
Origin of TOUGH
(see 1tough)
First Known Use: 1830
Learn More About TOUGH
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: tough check
Previous Word in the Dictionary: Toucouleur
All Words Near: tough
Previous Word in the Dictionary: Toucouleur
All Words Near: tough
Seen & Heard 
What made you want to look up tough? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
