to tough

Examples

• All

• Jeff, you're just going to have to tough it out.

  Tropic Thunder (2008)

• Some of them tough it out, but most need to belong somewhere.

  Fiction book (1999)

• Could you tough it out?

  The Monkey King: The Legend Begins (2022)

• I asked about her divorce and she said it was a sign to tough things out.

  Two Hot Takes

• You're just gonna have to tough it out, kid.

  Heart of Midnight (1988)

• Think you'll be able to tough it out without me for a couple days?

  Shooter (2007)

• Without the assistance of effective case managers, other families were forced to "tough it out" and "piecemeal the thing together."

  Academic text (2000)

• Will we enter a debt spiral, or must we tough it out with austerity?

  Blog text (9)

• The family toughed it out through everything imaginable: drought, flood, fire, the Great Depression, and loneliness.

  Academic text (2001)

• You're going to have to tough it out and finish the project, even though it's challenging.

Synonyms

S

to struggle

vsto tough

851 2.8

To try very hard to do or deal with something difficult

stresses lasting endurance rather than single bursts of effort

E

to endure

vsto tough

304 3.5

To deal with something difficult for a long time without giving up

means the same but uses a different common expression

H

to have a hard time

vsto tough

241 3.7

Find something difficult to do

describes enduring without giving up, not merely experiencing difficulty

C

to cope with

vsto tough

150 2.9

Manage a difficult problem, situation or strong feeling

emphasizes lasting not just effective action when facing difficulty

B

to brave

vsto tough

43 3.6

To face danger or difficulty with courage

focuses on lasting persistence instead of a single courageous act

D

to do it tough

vsto tough

• Australian

1 8.5

To live through hard times and keep going

focuses more on enduring than actively solving the problem

R

to rassle

vsto tough

• Informal

1 9.9

To struggle with a hard problem or task

is about continuous endurance, not only fighting to solve one problem

N

to navigate tough situations

vsto tough

5.1

To deal with difficult situations calmly and successfully

emphasizes enduring over achieving successful management

Antonyms

G

to give up

∞ 1.2

To stop trying to do something or accept defeat

Idioms

T

tough as nails

• Informal

10 7.1

Someone who can deal with hard things and stay calm

T

tough luck

• Informal

3 4.9

A short comment that says whether you feel sorry for someone's bad luck

T

tough titty

• Offensive

1 9.9

A short rude reply showing you do not care about someone's problem

A

to acting all tough

• Informal

1 8.2

Pretending to be strong to impress others or hide fear

Phrasal Verbs

D

to do it tough

• Australian

1 8.5

To live through hard times and keep going

N

to navigate tough situations

5.1

To deal with difficult situations calmly and successfully

Compounds

T

tough guy

• Informal

143 4.2

A man who acts strong to scare people

T

tough love

31 4.5

A strict way of caring that helps someone improve

T

tough job

29 3.4

A difficult task that needs a lot of effort

T

tough break

• Informal

19 5.8

An unlucky event that makes things harder for someone

T

tough call

• Informal

19 5.3

A difficult choice when two options are equally hard

T

tough game

6 3.0

A match that is very hard to win

T

tough going

• Informal

4 5.3

A situation or task that is hard to do

T

tough customer

• Informal

3 5.3

A person who is hard to deal with or persuade when making a deal

T

tough workout

1 3.0

A hard set of exercises that makes you very tired

T

tough experience

1 3.9

A difficult time that is hard to get through

T

tough-skinned

4.3

Has a hard outer skin that does not break easily

How Persistent

to withstand

122 4.2

to endure

94 3.6

to persevere

22 5.1

to tough

45 5.1

to bear

876 3.9

to put up with

288 4.3

to cope

272 2.9

Surface Forms

Etymology