tough
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- resilient, durable, hard, inflexible, leathery, resistant, rugged, solid, strong, sturdy
- strong, hardy, seasoned, stout, strapping, sturdy, vigorous
- rough, hard-bitten, pugnacious, ruthless, violent
- strict, firm, hard, merciless, resolute, severe, stern, unbending
- difficult, arduous, exacting, hard, laborious, strenuous, troublesome, uphill
- unlucky, lamentable, regrettable, unfortunate
[noun]
Synonyms:
- ruffian, bruiser (informal), bully, hooligan, roughneck (slang), thug

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Antonyms: fragile, soft, weak
Contrasted words: breakable, brittle, yielding, liberal, relaxed, compromising, flexible, laissez-faire, delicate, fragile, frail, tender, half-hardy, puny, weakened, orderly, quiet, safe
Related Idioms: tough as leather (or nails)
Related Words: flinty, hard, unyielding, resistant, unbreakable, withstanding, stiff, taut, fixed, confirmed, hard-shell, narrow, rigid, arbitrary, immutable, unalterable, hard-boiled, hardened, obdurate, harsh, procrustean, rigorous, severe, strict, drastic, conditioned, hard-bitten, seasoned, steeled, fit, healthy, lusty, robust, vigorous, stalwart, strong, sturdy, hardfisted, hardhanded, hardheaded, tough-minded, disorderly, rowdy, dangerous, unsafe, ghetto, inner-city, underprivileged, goon, hood, hoodlum, hooligan

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English Thesaurus: determined, stubborn, single-minded, tough, firm, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. tough¹ S2 W2 /tʌf/ adjective (comparative tougher, superlative toughest)
[Word Family: adverb: toughly, tough, toughly; verb: toughen; noun: toughness; adjective: tough]
[Language: Old English; Origin: toh]

1. DIFFICULT difficult to do or deal with:
It was a tough race.
She’s had a tough life.
The company admitted that it had been a tough year.
Tough decisions will have to be made.
The reporters were asking a lot of tough questions.
have a tough time (of it) (=face a lot of difficult problems)
The family has had a tough time of it these last few months.
it’s tough doing something
It’s tough being married to a cop.
be tough on somebody (=cause problems for someone or make their life difficult)
Having to stay indoors all day is tough on a kid.
It was a tough call (=a difficult decision), but we had to cancel the game because of the weather.
I find his books pretty tough going (=difficult to read).
Gage predicted the president’s proposal would be a tough sell (=something that is difficult to persuade someone about) before Congress. American English
when the going gets tough (the tough get going) informal (=used to say that when a situation becomes difficult, strong people take the necessary action to deal with it)

2. STRONG PERSON physically or emotionally strong and able to deal with difficult situations:
The men who work on the oil rigs are a tough bunch.
tough cookie/customer informal (=someone who is very determined to do what they want and not what other people want)
as tough as nails/as tough as old boots (=very tough)
He’s as tough as nails – a good man to have on the team.

3. STRONG MATERIAL not easily broken or made weaker:
tough, durable plastic
a very tough, hard-wearing cloth

4. STRICT/FIRM very strict or firm
tough on/with
My mother was very tough on my sister.
It’s time to get tough with drunk drivers.
The EU is taking a tough line with the UK over this issue.

5. VIOLENT AREA a tough part of a town has a lot of crime or violence
tough neighborhood/area/part of town etc
a tough area of Chicago

6. tough!/that’s tough! spoken used when you do not have any sympathy with someone:
‘I’m getting wet.’ ‘Tough! You should’ve brought your umbrella.’
She didn’t tell us she was coming, so if this screws up her plans that’s just tough.

7. tough luck! spoken
a) used when you do not have any sympathy for someone’s problems:
Well, that’s just their tough luck! It was their mistake.
b) British English used when you feel sympathy about something bad that has happened to someone:
You didn’t get the job? Oh, tough luck!

8. tough shit! spoken not polite used when you do not have any sympathy for someone’s problems

9. VIOLENT PERSON likely to behave violently and having no gentle qualities:
one of football’s most notorious tough guys
tough young thugs looking for trouble

10. FOOD difficult to cut or eat Antonym : tender:
The meat was tough and hard to chew.
the tough outer leaves of the cabbage

11. tough love a way of helping someone to change their behaviour by treating them in a kind but strict way
—toughly adverb
—toughness noun [uncountable]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. tough² verb
tough something ↔ out phrasal verb
to deal with a difficult situation by being determined, rather than leaving or changing your decision:
She told herself to be brave and tough it out.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. tough³ noun [countable]
old-fashioned someone who often behaves in a violent way

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

IV. tough⁴ adverb
[Word Family: adverb: toughly, tough, toughly; verb: toughen; noun: toughness; adjective: tough]
in a way that shows you are very determined:
Washington played tough in the second half of the game.
You’re talking tough now but you wait until you get into the interview.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

tough
adj.
I. difficult/unpleasant
VERBS be, seem | get
ADV. extremely, particularly, really, very | a bit, fairly, a little, pretty, quite Things were pretty tough at first.
PREP. on It's very tough on the wives when the husbands go off like that.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

tough
II. strict/firm
VERBS be | become, get
ADV. extremely, particularly, very | fairly, pretty, quite | enough Has the government been tough enough on polluters?
PREP. on The government has promised to get tough on crime.
with You have to be tough with these young thugs.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

tough
III. strong
VERBS be, feel, look, seem | become, get, grow | act, talk (both informal) Then this guy started acting tough.
ADV. incredibly, really, remarkably, very | pretty, quite, reasonably | enough Are you sure you're physically tough enough for this job?
mentally, physically

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

determined if you are determined to do something, you have decided that you are definitely going to do it, and you will not let anything stop you. Determined is also used about someone’s character, when they usually behave in this way:
I was determined to be a doctor.
She’s a very determined woman.
stubborn determined not to change what you are doing, especially when other people think you are behaving in an unreasonable way. Stubborn is often used when you disapprove of someone. It is also sometimes used when you admire them:
I wish you would stop being so stubborn!
Churchill’s stubborn refusal to surrender
single-minded someone who is single-minded works very hard in order to achieve one particular thing, and thinks that everything else is much less important:
During a war, a leader must be single-minded and, if necessary, ruthless.
her single-minded pursuit of power
tough /tʌf/ determined to succeed, even if a situation is difficult or frightening:
In competitive sports, it is as important to be mentally tough as it is to be physically fit.
Gorelick is known as a tough manager.
firm showing by your behaviour that you are determined not to change your mind, especially when you are telling someone what to do:
What this country needs is firm leadership.
You have to be firm with young children.
feisty determined and full of energy, and not afraid to say what you think and argue with people - used especially when you admire this person. Feisty is often used about women:
In the film she plays a feisty young woman who is smarter than all the men put together.
a feisty kid with a mind of his own
the city’s feisty mayor
headstrong determined to do what you want, without listening to other people’s advice or thinking about the results of your actions - used especially about young people:
Her sister was headstrong and impulsive, and made a point of going out whenever and wherever she liked.
resolute formal doing something in a very determined way because you have very strong beliefs, aims etc:
the soldiers’ resolute defence of the town
tenacious formal determined and refusing to give up:
McTaggart was seen by many in the environment movement as a tenacious hero.
his tenacious grip on power
dogged [only before noun] dogged behaviour shows that you are very determined and that you will not give up - used especially in the following phrases: dogged determination/persistence/resistance/refusal:
The team played with dogged determination.
his dogged refusal to admit defeat
the dogged persistence of the defenders
persistent continuing to do something, although this is difficult, or other people warn you not to do it:
If you want to get a job, you have to be persistent. Don’t give up.
strong-willed always very determined to do what you want to do, even if other people think it is not a good idea to do it:
She has always been a strong-willed child.
ruthless /ˈruːθləs/ someone who is ruthless is so determined to get what they want, that they do not care if they harm other people:
a ruthless dictator
He was ruthless in his ambition.
mean business to be determined to do something and show other people that you are determined to do it, even if it involves harming someone:
The one-day strike proved that the union meant business.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

difficult not easy to do, understand, or deal with:
a difficult question
The homework was really difficult.
It is difficult to see how peace can be achieved in the region.
hard difficult. Hard is less formal than difficult and is very common in spoken English:
The test was really hard.
a hard decision
It was hard to forgive him.
tough very difficult, because you have to use a lot of effort, or because it affects you emotionally:
a tough race
Doctors have to make tough decisions about who to treat first.
The team faces some tough competition.
Life is tough sometimes.
tricky difficult because it is complicated and full of problems:
She had helped him out of a tricky situation.
Merging the two companies was bound to be tricky.
awkward rather difficult to deal with – used especially when something could be embarrassing:
You’ve put me in a very awkward position.
It was getting dark and foggy, which made the rescue even more awkward.
challenging difficult in an interesting or enjoyable way:
I wanted a job that was more challenging.
a challenging piece of music
demanding difficult and tiring, because it takes a lot of effort:
Being a nurse in a busy hospital is a demanding job.
it can be very demanding bringing up young children.
daunting if something seems daunting, you think that it will be difficult and you do not feel confident about being able to do it:
a daunting challenge
The task seemed a little daunting at first.
delicate needing to be dealt with carefully or sensitively, especially in order to avoid offending people or causing problems:
This is a very delicate subject, and it can be difficult to talk about it with your parents.
He thanked me for the way in which this delicate matter had been handled.
tough question/decision/job/game/race

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

hard difficult to press down, break, or cut, and not at all soft:
I fell onto the hard stone floor.
The clay gets harder as it dries.
firm not completely hard, but not easy to press or bend – used especially when this seems a good thing:
I like to sleep on a firm mattress.
exercises to make your stomach muscles nice and firm
The pears were firm and juicy.
stiff difficult to bend and not changing shape:
a piece of stiff cardboard
The collar of his shirt felt stiff and uncomfortable.
solid made of a thick hard material and not hollow:
a solid oak door
The floor felt strong and solid beneath her feet.
rigid /ˈrɪdʒəd, ˈrɪdʒɪd/ having a structure that is made of a material that is difficult or impossible to bend:
The tent is supported by a rigid frame.
Carry sandwiches in a rigid container.
crisp/crispy used about food that is pleasantly hard, so that it makes a noise when you bite it – often used about things that have been cooked in thin slices until they are brown:
Bake the cookies until they are crisp and golden.
crispy bacon
crunchy food that is crunchy makes a noise when you bite on it – often used about things that are fresh, for example fruit, vegetables, and nuts:
a crunchy breakfast cereal
The carrots were still nice and crunchy.
a crunchy salad
crunchy peanut butter
tough meat that is tough is too hard and is difficult to cut or eat:
The meat was tough and flavourless.
rubbery too hard and bending like rubber rather than breaking – used especially about meat:
The chicken was all rubbery.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

strict a strict order or rule is one that must be obeyed:
There are strict rules about keeping tax records.
He had strict instructions to return the key to me.
tight tight controls or limits are very strict about what is allowed and what is not allowed:
The report recommends tighter controls on the advertising of alcohol.
There are tight regulations governing waste disposal.
tough tough laws or rules are very strict:
They want tougher laws against drinking and driving.
The federal government is introducing tough new rules on immigration.
harsh harsh punishments or laws are very severe, often too severe:
There are harsh penalties for drug trafficking.
The government has brought in harsh measures to combat the rioting taking place in many cities.
stringent controlling what people can do with rules that have very high standards:
There are now stringent controls on pollution from all power stations.
stringent new food safety regulations

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

strict expecting people to obey rules or to do what you say – used especially about parents, teachers, or organizations:
Our teachers were very strict.
Most schools are quite strict about the way students dress.
firm showing that you are in control of the situation and will not change your opinion, especially when you are telling someone what to do:
You have to be firm with young children.
I’ll be firm with him and tell him he can’t have any more money.
tough determined that your orders or decisions will be obeyed, especially in order to make sure that a situation improves – used especially when you think that someone is right to be strict:
We need a government that is tough on crime.
She can be quite tough with her students, but they respect her for it.
The chancellor has got to be tough and keep government spending down.
stern strict in a serious, disapproving, and rather unfriendly way:
Her grandfather was a stern man who rarely smiled.
Sheila walked into the museum, under the stern gaze of the curator.
harsh punishing or criticizing someone in a way that seems very severe, often too severe:
Don’t be too harsh on her – she’s only a child.
It may seem harsh to punish him, but he has to learn that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable.
Her reaction to the child’s bad behaviour was unnecessarily harsh.
authoritarian disapproving very strict about forcing people to obey rules or laws, and punishing them very severely if they fail to do this – used about people and governments:
Her father was very authoritarian and insisted on total obedience.
an authoritarian government
tight tight controls or limits are very strict about what is allowed and what is not allowed:
The report recommends tighter controls on the advertising of alcohol.
There are tight regulations governing waste disposal.
stringent controlling what people can do with rules that have very high standards:
There are now stringent controls on pollution from all power stations.
stringent new food safety regulations

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

strong having a lot of physical strength:
It took four strong men to lift the piano.
You open it – you’re stronger than I am.
powerful very strong – used about someone’s body, arms, muscles etc:
his big powerful shoulders
He was a tall man with a powerful physique.
muscular having big muscles and looking strong:
She liked men who were big and muscular.
He had a firm muscular body.
well-built a well-built man is strong and tall and has a big body:
Police say the man they are looking for is 36 years old, 6 feet tall, and well-built.
hunky informal strong and attractive:
She married hunky Hollywood star Brad Pitt.
He looks hunky, but he’s not really my type.
tough strong – used especially about something that can be used a lot without damaging it or making it weaker:
a pair of tough leather boots
Kitchen floors need to be tough enough to withstand heavy use.
heavy-duty [only before noun] extremely strong – used about materials, tools, machines etc that are made especially to be used a lot without being easily damaged:
heavy-duty rubber gloves
a heavy-duty carpet for the hallway
sturdy strong and often thick, and not likely to fall over or get broken:
a fence made with sturdy wooden posts
The furniture is simple but sturdy.
unbreakable extremely strong and impossible to break:
Babies need to have unbreakable dishes and cups.
indestructible impossible to break, damage, or destroy, and lasting forever:
Gold is virtually indestructible.
The pyramids were built as indestructible tombs for the Pharaohs.
hard-wearing British English, long-wearing American English used about materials and products that will remain in good condition for a long time even when they are used a lot:
Ceramic tiles are easy to keep clean and hard-wearing.
a hard-wearing fabric
durable especially written used about materials and products that will remain in good condition for a long time – often used on product labels:
The jacket has a durable nylon lining.
Varnish is more durable than paint.
robust especially written strongly made – used especially about the structure of something, for example a vehicle or machine:
a mountain bike with a robust frame
The hardware for the computer must be robust and inexpensive.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

strong not easily broken or damaged:
The bags are made of strong black plastic.
We need a strong rope for this job.
tough strong – used especially about something that can be used a lot without damaging it or making it weaker:
a pair of tough leather boots
Kitchen floors need to be tough enough to withstand heavy use.
heavy-duty [only before noun] extremely strong – used about materials, tools, machines etc that are made especially to be used a lot without being easily damaged:
heavy-duty rubber gloves
a heavy-duty carpet for the hallway
sturdy strong and often thick, and not likely to fall over or get broken:
a fence made with sturdy wooden posts
The furniture is simple but sturdy.
unbreakable extremely strong and impossible to break:
Babies need to have unbreakable dishes and cups.
indestructible impossible to break, damage, or destroy, and lasting forever:
Gold is virtually indestructible.
The pyramids were built as indestructible tombs for the Pharaohs.
hard-wearing British English, long-wearing American English used about materials and products that will remain in good condition for a long time even when they are used a lot:
Ceramic tiles are easy to keep clean and hard-wearing.
a hard-wearing fabric
durable especially written used about materials and products that will remain in good condition for a long time – often used on product labels:
The jacket has a durable nylon lining.
Varnish is more durable than paint.
robust especially written strongly made – used especially about the structure of something, for example a vehicle or machine:
a mountain bike with a robust frame
The hardware for the computer must be robust and inexpensive.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲