Definition of tough
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
4a : strong or firm in texture but flexible and not brittleb : not easily chewed tough meat
5 : characterized by severity or uncompromising determination tough laws tough discipline
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
toughly
adverbtoughness
nounFrom the M-W Editors
Examples of tough in a Sentence
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
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.
Recent Examples of tough from the Web
-
For most who still follow that burning desire to make a living out of their various basketball skill sets, that means carving an existence overseas, a prospect that, while much more glamorous than in past years, is still a tough life.
-
Angel Maria Villar was a tough midfielder for Athletic Bilbao and Spain before retiring to work as a lawyer and soccer administrator.
-
Goldman Sachs, by comparison, had a tougher time of it.
-
China also faces tough decisions going forward, particularly job losses stemming from curbing overcapacity in the coal and steel industries.
-
The soccer team is a huge hit in town, but a new stadium is a tough sell for all the reasons commissioners outlined Monday.
-
On Thursday, the ACC's John Swofford talked about his league having the toughest opponents - both in and outside the conference.
-
So Herta has worked hard to keep the pains of a tough season from affecting Andretti.
-
In his more than 25 years working in mosquito control, Vasquez has seen nothing like Zika: an infection with symptoms tough to identify and, therefore, difficult to track.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tough.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of tough
Middle English, from Old English tōh; akin to Old High German zāhi tough
Synonym Discussion of tough
Examples of tough in a Sentence
He talks tough but he's not really dangerous.
Origin and Etymology of tough
see 1tough
Examples of tough in a Sentence
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
Origin and Etymology of tough
see 1tough
Definition of tough
transitive verb
: to bear unflinchingly : endure —usually used with out especially in the phrase tough it out
Examples of tough in a Sentence
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
Origin and Etymology of tough
see 1tough
TOUGH Defined for English Language Learners
tough
playDefinition of tough for English Language Learners
-
: very difficult to do or deal with
-
: physically and emotionally strong : able to do hard work, to deal with harsh conditions, etc.
-
: physically strong and violent
tough
playDefinition of tough for English Language Learners
-
: in a way that shows that you are strong or tough
TOUGH Defined for Kids
tough
playDefinition of tough for Students
tougher
;toughest
1 : strong or firm but flexible and not brittle tough fibers tough leather
2 : not easily chewed tough meat
3 : physically or emotionally strong enough to put up with strain or hardship
4 : very strict, firm, or determined a tough coach tough rules
5 : very difficult to do or deal with We've had some tough times. The math test was tough.
6 : lawless 2 a tough neighborhood
toughness
nounLearn More about tough
-
See words that rhyme with tough Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tough Spanish Central: Translation of tough Nglish: Translation of tough for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tough for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up tough? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!