tough experience
1
3.9
- noun
:
experiencia dura
- In fact, these tough experiences helped me take dating a little less seriously and enjoy the adventure of getting to know people, even if I'm not going to spend the rest of my life with them.
You know, that's a really sort of tough experience, especially, you know, a lot of us quite young.
- You know, that's a really sort of tough experience, especially, you know, a lot of us quite young.
- What I loved about it was it's a bit like your hardest spa or your toughest experience in business.
Examples
-
Many people find that a tough experience can help them grow emotionally.
-
I speak from tough experience.
Academic text (2008) -
You know, that's a really sort of tough experience, especially, you know, a lot of us quite young.
-
What I loved about it was it's a bit like your hardest spa or your toughest experience in business.
-
And so you'll end up having this really tough experience, which is that the fragility of life holds hands with a beauty.
-
When I have a tough experience with a patron, I can't be snippy and rude to them.
Blog text (1) -
Going through a tough experience can teach you valuable life lessons.
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She emerged stronger after facing a tough experience during her travels.
Synonyms
∞
3.7
A very painful or difficult experience
382
2.9
A period when someone has difficulty or trouble
137
4.8
A difficult, unpleasant experience that lasts a long time
134
3.1
A period when someone faces problems or a lot of stress
104
3.1
A period when people have many problems with money or daily life
71
4.9
A difficult time when you face many problems
19
5.8
An unlucky event that makes things harder for someone
11
4.4
A difficult truth you must accept
10
8.1
A period when someone has many problems to deal with
5
6.0
Difficult experiences that teach you important life lessons
4
7.6
A person, question, or thing that is very difficult to deal with
4
5.3
A situation or task that is hard to do
4
3.7
A difficult situation that is hard to deal with
2
6.1
A time when someone has many problems and finds life difficult
2
6.5
A period when someone has many problems
1
6.1
A time when someone has trouble
1
7.0
A difficult time that is hard to get through
A difficult problem that needs careful handling
Antonyms
How Difficult
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a situation that is difficult, stressful, or challenging to endure' is directly and transparently formed from 'tough' (difficult) modifying 'experience' (an event someone undergoes). This simple adjective + noun composition follows standard, cross-linguistically common patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Tough experience creates a simple image: tough is something hard to break or pass, and experience is something you go through. So it describes an event that is 'difficult' or 'stressful' to go through.