Thesaurus

tough

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of tough

1 not easily chewed

her steak was so tough that she suggested the waiter use it as a hockey puck

Synonyms of tough

chewy, leathery

Words Related to tough

fibrous, gristly, sinewy, stringy

brittle, crunchy, hard

Near Antonyms of tough

Antonyms of tough

2 able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure

this is a tough plant that easily withstands harsh winters

Synonyms of tough

cast-iron, hard, hard-bitten, hardened, hardy, inured, rugged, stout, strong, sturdy, toughened, vigorous

Words Related to tough

flinty, leathery, resilient, stalwart

durable, enduring, everlasting, immortal, imperishable, lasting, permanent, stable, staunch (also stanch), staying, tenacious, unyielding

flourishing, prospering, thriving

able-bodied, brawny, muscular

fit, fortified, hale, healthy, husky, lusty, red-blooded, robust, sound, strapping, virile

annealed, seasoned, tempered

Near Antonyms of tough

emasculated, enervated, enfeebled, exhausted, run-down, sapped, wasted, weakened, worn, worn out

crippled, debilitated, diseased, incapacitated, infirm, unsound

fragile, frail, puny

resistless, sensitive, susceptible, unresistant, vulnerable, yielding

mortal, perishable, temporary, transient

Antonyms of tough

delicate, nonhardy, soft, tender, weak

3 difficult to endure

tough weather conditions on the top of the mountain all year long

Synonyms of tough

bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grievous, grim, hard, hardhanded, harsh, heavy, inhuman, murderous, onerous, oppressive, rough, rugged, searing, severe, stiff, trying

Words Related to tough

austere, bleak, comfortless, discomforting, forbidding, inhospitable, spartan, uncomfortable

biting, inclement, intemperate, wild

rigorous, strict, stringent

agonizing, heartbreaking, heartrending, painful, wretched

crushing, grinding, overwhelming, wearing

insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unbearable, unendurable

harrowing, tortuous

bad, disagreeable, hostile, unfriendly, unpleasant

Near Antonyms of tough

comfortable, cozy, luxurious, snug

agreeable, friendly, genial, hospitable, pleasant

peaceful, relaxing, reposeful, restful

bearable, endurable, painless, tolerable

balmy, calm, clement, gentle, mild, moderate, temperate

Antonyms of tough

easy, light, soft

4 requiring considerable physical or mental effort

even if you study for it, it's still a tough exam

Synonyms of tough

arduous, Augean, backbreaking, challenging, demanding, difficult, effortful, exacting, formidable, grueling (or gruelling), hard, heavy, hellacious, herculean, killer, laborious, moiling, murderous, pick-and-shovel, rigorous, rough, rugged, severe, stiff, strenuous, sweaty, tall, testing, toilsome, uphill

Words Related to tough

abstract, abstruse, complex, complicated, elusive, hairy, insoluble, intricate, involved, knotty, opaque, problematic (also problematical), recondite, serious, spiny, stubborn, thorny, ticklish, tricky

bruising, burdensome, exhausting, labored, onerous, oppressive, stressful, taxing, tight, trying

annoying, bothersome, distressing, irksome, troublesome, vexatious

grievous, grim, strict, stringent

brutal, cruel, inhuman, painful

Near Antonyms of tough

achievable, clear, doable, elementary, manageable, uncomplicated

comforting, gentle, painless, relaxed, smooth, soothing

accessible, friendly, idiotproof, user-friendly

Antonyms of tough

cheap, easy, effortless, facile, light, mindless, simple, soft, undemanding

5 requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling

handled a tough situation with the aplomb and tact of a true diplomat

Synonyms of tough

catchy, delicate, difficult, dodgy [chiefly British], hairy, knotty, nasty, prickly, problematic (also problematical), sensitive, spiny, sticky, thorny, ticklish, touchy, tricksy, tricky

Words Related to tough

abstract, abstruse, complex, complicated, hard, intricate, involved, recondite, serious

problem, scabrous, stubborn, troublesome, troublous, vexatious, vexing, worrisome

burdensome, demanding, discommoding, exacting, exhausting, importunate, inconvenient, onerous, oppressive, painful, stressful

Near Antonyms of tough

easy, effortless, manageable, painless, simple, straightforward, uncomplicated, undemanding, unproblematic

6 given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint

a tough supervisor who docked the pay of anyone who punched in late, no matter what the reason

Synonyms of tough

austere, authoritarian, flinty, hard, harsh, heavy-handed, ramrod, rigid, rigorous, severe, stern, strict

Words Related to tough

demanding, exacting

uncharitable, unforgiving

adamant, adamantine, callous, hardened, hard-hearted, hard-line, immovable, implacable, inflexible, merciless, ossified, pitiless, relentless, rock-ribbed, stiff, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unsparing, unyielding

ascetic (also ascetical), monastic, monkish

browbeating, bullying

determined, firm, resolved, single-minded, steadfast, unflinching

dogged, intractable, obstinate, relentless

Near Antonyms of tough

easy, easygoing, laid-back, undemanding

charitable, kind, merciful, mild, patient, soft, softhearted

accepting, compromising, yielding

responsive, willing

acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, complaisant, compliant, flexible, pliable, pliant

Antonyms of tough

clement, forbearing, gentle, indulgent, lax, lenient, tolerant

Synonym Discussion of 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

tough

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of tough

a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang

didn't want her son hanging out with the neighborhood toughs

Synonyms of tough

bully, gangbanger, gangsta, gangster, goon, gorilla, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, mobster, mug, plug-ugly, punk, roughneck, rowdy, ruffian, thug, toughie (also toughy), yob [British], yobbo [British]

Words Related to tough

cutthroat, scoundrel, villain

assassin, bandit, bravo, brigand, criminal, crook, desperado, felon, gunman, highwayman, lawbreaker, mafioso, malefactor, offender, outlaw, perp, perpetrator, pirate

pickpocket, racketeer, robber, swindler, thief, vandal

juvenile delinquent, tearaway [British]

Learn More about tough

See words that rhyme with tough Dictionary: Definition of tough Spanish Central: Translation of tough Nglish: Translation of tough for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tough for Arabic speakers

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