tough

¹tough

adj \ˈtəf\

Definition of TOUGH

1

a : strong or firm in texture but flexible and not brittle b : not easily chewed <tough meat>

2

: glutinous, sticky

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>

8

: unruly, rowdyish <a tough gang>

9

: marked by absence of softness or sentimentality <a tough critic>

— tough·ly adverb

— tough·ness noun

Examples of TOUGH

1. She had a tough time in college.
2. Are you tough enough for the job?
3. He's been hanging around with a bunch of tough guys.
4. The rug is made of tough material.
5. 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
6. … 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
7. 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
8. … 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

Origin of TOUGH

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to TOUGH

Synonyms: chewy, leathery

Antonyms: tender

Related Words: fibrous, gristly, sinewy, stringy; brittle, crunchy, hard; cardboardy

Near Antonyms: mushy, soft

see all synonyms and antonyms

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See Synonym Discussion at strong

Rhymes with TOUGH

bluff, buff, chough, chuff, cuff, duff, fluff, gruff, guff, huff, luff, muff, puff, rough, ruff, scruff, scuff, slough, snuff, sough, stuff, tuff