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ADJECTIVE tough COMPARATIVE tougher SUPERLATIVE toughest

tough English

Meaning tough meaning

What does tough mean?

Definitions in simple English

tough Adjective

— If something is tough, it is difficult, not easy. It's important to stay healthy when the going gets tough. It was a tough decision, but I think she make the right choice. The weather makes the overall competition tougher. The wood was tough to break. — If something is tough, it doesn't change or move easily; it's not soft. The government is taking a tough stance on crime. The public wants tougher enforcement of these laws. The meat was really tough. She was a tough, smart businesswoman. — If something is tough, it is not nice to experience. He should get the toughest penalty possible for this killing. — If a person is tough, they are strong and may often fight. He was an older guy, truly tough with huge arms and a gold cross chain. We looked pretty tough on our motorcycles.

tough Verb

— If you tough something out, it is difficult, but you continue; you don't give up. Even though it rained the whole time, they toughed it out without complaining.

tough

— adjective not given to gentleness or sentimentality a tough character — adjective (= rugged) very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution a rugged competitive examination the rugged conditions of frontier life the competition was tough it's a tough life it was a tough job — adjective (= toughened) physically toughened the tough bottoms of his feet — adjective (= sturdy) substantially made or constructed sturdy steel shelves sturdy canvas a tough all-weather fabric some plastics are as tough as metal — adjective (= ruffianly) violent and lawless the more ruffianly element tough street gangs — adjective (= bad) feeling physical discomfort or pain ('tough' is occasionally used colloquially for 'bad') my throat feels bad she felt bad all over he was feeling tough after a restless night — adjective resistant to cutting or chewing — adjective (= hard) unfortunate or hard to bear had hard luck a tough break — noun (= street fighter) someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing — noun (= bully) a cruel and brutal fellow — noun (= hood) an aggressive and violent young criminal — adjective (= baffling, knotty, problematic) making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe a baffling problem I faced the knotty problem of what to have for breakfast a problematic situation at home

Synonyms tough synonyms

What other words have the same or similar meaning as tough?

tough English » English

hard strong difficult firm sturdy stiff rough harsh tenacious solid robust hardy rugged bad unyielding severe powerful heavy durable arduous vigorous thick stubborn strict stern stallwart ruffian potent old not tender mighty forceful wiry rowdy roughneck rigid resistant painful challenging bitter troublesome tricky toughie toughened thug sharp ruffianly resilient obstinate intractable

Topics tough topics

What do people use tough to talk about?

Person Body condition

Strong

What words describe someone who is strong and healthy?

sturdy robust hardy tough resilient

Language and thought Emotion Feel good Interested

Indifferent

What words indicate that you don't care about someone else's problem?

not my problem not my concern that's your problem (that's just) tough

Social behavior Behavior Love

Break

What words describe something that is not easily broken?

strong tough hard unbreakable durable

States Quality Made of, material

Strong, brittle

What words describe something that is not easily broken?

strong strength tough substantial

States Quality Made of, material

Hard, firm

What words describe something that is hard?

hard adamant firm indurate petrified concrete tough

Examples tough examples

How do I use tough in a sentence?

Simple sentences

She's a tough woman.

It was a tough test.

Tom has a tough call to make.

The weather is getting nice and many people are having a tough time having to stay at home.

You're tough.

The meat is tough.

This car must have had tough usage.

This rope is very tough.

This steak is too tough.

Tom can hang tough, I am sure.

Today was a very tough day.

He is a tough cookie.

She's one tough cookie.

It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future!

The heart itself is nothing more nor less than a large, tough, leather-like muscle.

No sooner had we finished working on one tough problem than the president sent us yet another straight from the top.

Donkeys are tough animals.

The prime minister fielded some tough questions at the press conference.

He won't be easily discouraged, because he's a tough guy.

That's a tough question.

Movie subtitles

You think your life line would be as tough as silk thread!

I don't know if my life line is tough, but. I know that I have to protect this place! I know that I have to protect this place!

It must be because their lives are so tough.

What tough jerks!

Although it may be tough, please bear with it for a while.

Well, we already saved it, so tough turkey.

Ask her the tough questions.

I understand why this is tough.

Is Oliver not being too tough on you?

The head coach. so tough he shaves with a blow-torch.

It's tough enough when you're hungry all day.

Sure. But it's a long, tough pull from here.

It's a tough proposition, girl, this pioneer life in the savage wilderness.

What a tough break for Arnie.

It will be a tough sell.

Blimey, that's one tough bloke.

I'm tough as nails.

You're such a tough guy.

Tough sorts.

She's tough to please.

If so, it's a tough break for you.

But it's a long, tough pull from here.

It's a tough proposition, girl, this pioneer life in a savage wilderness.

Tough, boy.

Tough time!

It's gonna be a tough break for a lot of birds.

You have a tough job too, telling people these things.

Tough shit!

Tough it out, guys!

Oh, man, that's tough.

That's a tough guy I'm up against tomorrow night.

This boy is tough!

That was a tough scrap I had.

The next work must be important, but it can't be too tough.

Tough luck.

You're too tough for me.

You know, it ain't so tough when you got friends.

You're too tough for me, boys.

Sorry, Sleepy, tough luck.

News and current affairs

This could have incited a complicated situation where Russians were faced with tough visa requirements when travelling between Kaliningrad and Russia proper.

Yet the agreement commits no one to any specific targets, least of all the United States, whose president, George W. Bush, will no longer be in office in 2009, when the tough decisions have to be made.

Tough decisions were made, not least involving the energy sector.

And, tough talk notwithstanding, the Obama administration has yet to offer a credible roadmap for fiscal consolidation.

The deeper and overriding point of Kaufman's critique of our system is the need for tough laws.

One can only hope that this recognition will serve as her guidepost when tough decisions must be made and changes in style alone will not be enough.

The EU will be tough on terrorism.

But it must also be tough on the causes of terrorism.

Campaigners will push for tough and far-reaching policies, but strong resistance will continue from countries concerned about their economic vitality.

Some claim that the IMF was too lenient; others that it was too tough.

Maximizing the impact of scarce resources on the lives of the world's poorest people demands tough choices.

First, it's tough enough for leaders within the Chinese Communist Party elite to agree on economic-policy priorities.

It is extremely difficult to estimate capital flight, both because the data are insufficient and because it is tough to distinguish capital flight from normal diversification.

Rows over product safety and intellectual piracy could all too easily fuel calls for tough new trade limits.

But Russian leaders resist tough sanctions on Iran, lest they jeopardize financial dealings there and lead to increased Iranian support for Muslim minorities inside Russia.

Get tough with China, both stressed in the presidential debates, and the pain will ease.

While these trends benefit Chinese workers, they also support America and other countries by holding down inflation and making it possible for their companies to cope with tough competitive pressures.

This gap has narrowed in the past couple of years, but much of the improvement probably reflects little more than the temporary impact of an unusually tough business cycle.

The toll taken by years of tough economic sanctions is also apparent.

Their outlook nowadays is the product of these two worldviews - suspicious of others' motives and proud of themselves as smart, tough negotiators and not without their own resources.

But that should be the clear aim, with IMF assistance along the way to provide interim funding where necessary and political cover for governments obliged to take tough decisions on public spending and taxation.

But he is also an entrepreneur, and this is the latest in his many efforts to create successful, low-cost, but cutting-edge medical ecosystems in tough locations worldwide.

Much is made of Asia's Teflon-like resilience in an otherwise tough post-crisis climate.

Indeed, while talking tough under the guidance of Nicolas Sarkozy's France, which currently holds the EU presidency, Europe has de facto resigned itself to Georgia's dismemberment.

Contracts with the metal and chemical workers also are coming up for negotiation this year in Germany, and union leaders are talking tough.

But creditors don't have an incentive to place tough limits on banks.

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