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tough job

tough job

29 3.4
A difficult task that needs a lot of effort
  • noun
  • /tʌf dʒɑb/
translation icon : tarea difícil
  • Coaching the swim team is a tough job that requires a lot of dedication and effort.

Immigration is a really tough job, so people would rather stay home if they could.

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Examples

  • We know guarding the front line is a tough job.

  • Being President is a tough job... if you do it right.

    Blog text (14)
  • What we do is a tough job and sometimes these things happen.

  • But this is a tough job we're doing here.

  • People are doing a pretty tough job that many of us would not do for a million dollars.

    Blog text (6)
  • Coaching the swim team is a tough job.

  • I have been a bartender/waitress for 16 years, and it can be a tough job.

    Blog text (10)
  • Tough job, but someone's got to do it.

  • We've got a tough job on our hands and, by and large, I think we're handling it darn well.

  • Anyone who's raised kids knows it's a tough job and there's no time off.

    Blog text (4)

Synonyms

challenge
vstough job
3.1

A difficult task that tests a person's skill and will

is broader, naming any demanding position rather than a test of skill
hard work
vstough job
355 1.6

A lot of steady effort to achieve something difficult

focuses on the hard nature of the position rather than the effort style
killer
vstough job
  • Informal
236 6.5

An activity or event that is very hard and makes you very tired

is the neutral term for a demanding position without informal tone
heavy lifting
vstough job
27 3.6

Hard work that needs a lot of physical effort or responsibility

covers demanding roles more broadly, not only heavy physical effort
tall order
vstough job
  • Informal
16 6.9

A task that is very hard to do

is used more for ongoing roles and their sustained demands rather than single requests
toughie
vstough job
  • Informal
4 7.6

A person, question, or thing that is very difficult to deal with

focuses on jobs or positions that require sustained effort and endurance
tough going
vstough job
  • Informal
4 5.3

A situation or task that is hard to do

is a stronger label for specific positions needing long endurance
heavy lift
vstough job
  • US
2 6.8

A difficult task that needs a lot of effort

is a general label for any difficult position or task needing endurance
high-pressure job
vstough job
1 4.5

A job that causes a lot of stress and has strict deadlines

centres on difficulty and endurance rather than stress or emotional pressure
ball-buster
vstough job
  • NSFW
1 8.9

A job or task that is hard and makes you very tired

keeps the idea of difficulty but without the harsh, slangy tone
mammoth task
vstough job
1 5.9

A very large and difficult job that needs a lot of time and effort

applies to difficult roles of any size, not only very large ones
ball-breaker
vstough job
  • Offensive
1 9.1

A very hard task or job that is tiring and difficult

covers tough roles generally and lacks the strongly negative slang feel
doozy of a challenge
vstough job
  • Informal
9.0

A very difficult task that needs a lot of effort

describes difficult roles generally rather than unusually exceptional ones
long row to hoe
vstough job
  • Informal
9.3

A difficult task that takes a long time and a lot of effort

stresses toughness and endurance for the role rather than long duration
backbreaking task
vstough job
5.3

A very hard job that makes your body very tired

includes difficult positions that may be mentally demanding, not only physical
tuffy
vstough job
  • Informal
8.8

A difficult task that needs a lot of effort

is the straightforward descriptor for a demanding position without slang
snorter
vstough job
  • Slang
9.8

A very difficult problem or task that tests your skill

is the general term for a demanding job, not the playful exclamation

Antonyms

1.0

Not hard to do, understand, or achieve

light work
  • Informal
3 1.0

An easy task that takes little effort

How Difficult

ordeal
137 4.8
tough job
29 3.4
marathon
64 3.7
challenging
183 4.4
light work
  • Informal
3 1.0

Surface Forms

tough job singular
tough jobs plural

Morphology

tough + job

The meaning 'a difficult or demanding task' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'tough' (difficult) with 'job' (task or position); the adjective simply modifies the noun in a straightforward way. This modifier+noun composition is common cross-linguistically and follows basic English grammar, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The phrase tough job comes from the image of something tough to chew, like a hard piece of meat that takes a lot of effort to eat. So a tough job means a task that is 'difficult' and needs a lot of effort and hard work.