to toughen up
17
4.2
- phrasal verb
- /ˈtʌfən ʌp/
- Informal
:
endurecerse
- If you want to succeed in this industry, you need to toughen up and handle the criticism.
- toughen up a bit
- needs to toughen up
- want to toughen up
I need to toughen up if I'm going to get ahead.
- I need to toughen up if I'm going to get ahead.
- But you toughen up from those sorts of situations.
- So every time you and I bitched or complained or we were friended, that's like, toughen up, toughen up.
- And she went, it's happening because you are on the stage now and you need to toughen up.
- And then as you were getting into business and having to toughen up, there was a tough side to you that began to come out.
- It was just suck it up, be a man, toughen up.
- Yes, I know people tell me to toughen up and my life has been about strengthening my mind in the face of my limits.
- And the way that you toughen up is by realizing as going back to Nietzsche, what doesn't kill me makes me stronger.
- I want more to look your pain in the eyes and say I want more because I'm going to be I'm going to be toughened up.
- But if you're from those scheme areas, it's if you're fighting or you're crying, it's toughen up, man up.
Examples
-
I need to toughen up if I'm going to get ahead.
-
I want him to toughen up, learn how to lead.
-
And then as you were getting into business and having to toughen up, there was a tough side to you that began to come out.
-
So, we need to toughen you up.
-
I wanted you to toughen up, because I was so scared.
-
All right, you gotta toughen up.
-
Yeah, we'll toughen him up.
-
I need to toughen up.
Blog text (6) -
I'm just trying to toughen you up.
-
Toughen up and just know that it will only make you that much stronger as a person.
Blog text (5)
Synonyms
327
3.0
To make muscles, relationships, or groups stronger
15
3.9
To make a person or thing stronger so it can handle hard situations
7
7.6
To prepare yourself to face something unpleasant or difficult
5
4.4
To stay strong and positive when facing hard times
3
7.5
To prepare yourself mentally for something difficult or unpleasant
1
7.4
Get ready in your mind to face something unpleasant
1
5.7
To make a surface not smooth or a person tougher
To become less upset by criticism or problems
Antonyms
How Tough
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'toughen' already means 'make more tough/resilient' and the particle 'up' commonly signals increase or intensification, so the combined meaning 'become more resilient / make someone less sensitive' is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional pattern (verb + up = increase/change of degree) is frequent in English and recognizable to learners who know the constituents.
Etymology
The phrasal verb toughen up comes from a simple image: to toughen is to become hard or strong, and up gives the idea of 'more' or a higher state. Imagine someone who trains or faces hard times and becomes less soft and more able to cope; that's why the phrase means 'to become stronger or less sensitive to hardship'.