tough

Study(26)

/tʌf/

adj 5verb 2intj 1noun 1name 1

Collocations

(adj.) difficult/unpleasant

VERBS

be, seem | get

ADV

extremely, particularly, really, very

a bit, fairly, a little, pretty, quite

The first week of my new job was quite tough, but I settled in quickly.

PREP

Missing work during the project was tough on everyone in the team.

(adj.) strict/firm

VERBS

be | become, get

ADV

extremely, particularly, very | fairly, pretty, quite

enough

The new coach wasn't tough enough with the team, so they didn't improve their performance.

PREP

The new principal has been tough on students who arrive late to class.

with

The teacher had to be tough with the students who kept arriving late to class.

(adj.) strong

VERBS

be, feel, look, seem | become, get, grow

act, talk

When the new manager arrived, she talked tough about cutting costs and improving efficiency.

ADV

incredibly, really, remarkably, very | pretty, quite, reasonably

enough

She wondered if she was tough enough to handle working night shifts alone.

mentally, physically

Definitions

adj

Strong and resilient; sturdy.

The tent, made of tough canvas, held up to many abuses.

Difficult to cut or chew.

To soften a tough cut of meat, the recipe suggested simmering it for hours.

Rugged or physically hardy.

Only a tough species will survive in the desert.

But before you quit turkey hunting and take up model-train collecting, let me give you the good news: you can score on tough turkeys. In fact, you can kill the toughest turkey in the woods.

Stubborn or persistent; capable of stubbornness or persistence.

He had a reputation as a tough negotiator.

Harsh or severe.

intj

Used to indicate lack of sympathy

If you don't like it, tough!

noun

A person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully.

They were doing fine until they encountered a bunch of toughs from the opposition.

One of his best stories was "Barney Oldfield's Race for a Life" (1914), of which there survives only an amusing still, showing poor Mabel Normand chained to the rails by two toughs, the moustached villain threatening her with a sledge-hammer, and an awful sense of that inexorably approaching express!

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — a cruel and brutal fellow

noun — an aggressive and violent young criminal

adjective — feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally

adjective — substantially made or constructed

sturdy

adjective — making great mental demands

adjective — very difficult

rugged

adjective — unfortunate or hard to bear

hard

adjective — physically toughened

toughened

adjective — violent and lawless

ruffianly

Antonyms

tender
untoughened

Idioms & Phrases

tough luck

Bad luck.

tough call

A choice or judgment which is difficult to make, especially one involving only two alternatives.

Will it work? It's a tough call.

tough love

The compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures, to attempt to improve someone's behavior.

[H]e found himself surrounded by a circle of caring friends and relatives who told him one by one that they loved him but could not continue to live with him or be his friend the w

tough case

A person who is difficult to work with.

Due to Mary's ignorance, she was a tough case.

tough cookies

Too bad (for one); the outcome that one desires is not likely to change.

Example Bank

The tent, made of tough canvas, held up to many abuses.

Wiktionary

To soften a tough cut of meat, the recipe suggested simmering it for hours.

Wiktionary

Only a tough species will survive in the desert.

Wiktionary

If you don't like it, tough!

Wiktionary

They were doing fine until they encountered a bunch of toughs from the opposition.

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, tough is marked as slang. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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