tough
214
1.7
- adjective
- /tʌf/
- Now you have a plan that works even in today's tough marketplace.
Loading YouTube…
Watch on YouTubeSome people, they have tough skin, some don't.
- Some people, they have tough skin, some don't.
- In him I see my grandmother, the toughest human being I've ever known.
- Our alliance is tough, and it's been through a lot.
- I'd be like, I'm tough though, I'm really tough.
- But I like what Will did last year and he's tougher than nails.
- She's like loyal as shit, tough as nails.
- So they'll walk tough, they'll build their bodies tough.
- Jessica, IA UFC fighter, beautiful and tough gang onward.
Examples
-
The climbing gear is tough enough to withstand extreme weather conditions.
-
A girl soldier, the first I ever knew, beautiful and tough and so far above me!
Fiction book (1993) -
But if you grow up with a tough background, makes you strong.
-
If only all the other girls were as tough as you.
-
Our alliance is tough, and it's been through a lot.
-
Georgia soil is tough because it has a lot of iron in it.
Academic text (2014) -
Because they have to withstand high temperatures, the cell materials must meet tough design requirements.
Academic text (1994) -
The experimental motors were tough enough to survive many hours of continuous operation at low speed.
Academic text (2009) -
In him I see my grandmother, the toughest human being I've ever known.
-
He'd been blessed with a tough athletic body, long legs, and quick reflexes.
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
∞
1.1
Needing a lot of effort and often strict or severe
∞
1.0
Having great physical power or being solid enough to resist force
631
3.0
Hard and severe, causing problems or danger
120
3.9
Strong and able to work well in difficult conditions
79
2.1
Strong and solid so it does not break easily
72
5.4
Able to recover quickly after problems or hard times
58
3.6
Able to last a long time without breaking or being damaged
43
3.9
Able to keep working when it meets heat, water, or chemicals
38
5.6
Made emotionally tougher after repeated difficult experiences
13
3.9
Able to live and grow in cold or bad weather
11
7.1
Someone who can deal with hard things and stay calm
9
4.4
Can survive in difficult conditions like heat or drought
2
6.7
Hard and not easily bent or broken by force
1
4.1
Treated to make it stronger and harder to break
1
4.3
Has a hard outer skin that does not break easily
1
7.7
Very strong and not easily broken or changed
Antonyms
Idioms
Compounds
How Durable
Surface Forms
Etymology
Tough comes from an old English word toh meaning 'strong' or 'hard'. That original sense of being strong explains why we call shoes, doors, or materials tough when they do not break and can take rough use.