English Dictionary

Definition of “tough

tough (tʌfPronunciation for tough

Definitions

adjective

  1. strong or resilient; durable  ⇒ a tough material 
  2. not tender  ⇒ he could not eat the tough steak 
  3. having a great capacity for endurance; hardy and fit  ⇒ a tough mountaineer 
  4. rough or pugnacious  ⇒ a tough gangster 
  5. resolute or intractable  ⇒ a tough employer 
  6. difficult or troublesome to do or deal with  ⇒ a tough problem 
  7. informal unfortunate or unlucky  ⇒ it's tough on him 

noun

  1. a rough, vicious, or pugnacious person

adverb

  1. informal violently, aggressively, or intractably  ⇒ to treat someone tough 
  2. See hang tough

verb

  1. (tr) slang to stand firm, hold out against (a difficulty or difficult situation) (esp in tough it out)

Alternative Forms

ˈtoughish adjective ˈtoughly adverb

Word Origin

Old English tōh;  related to Old High German zāhi  tough, Old Norse trodden ground in front of a house

Translations

  • British English: tough Pronunciation for tough A tough person has a strong character and can tolerate difficulty or hardship.He built up a reputation as a tough businessman.tʌf ADJECTIVE He built up a reputation as a tough businessman.
  • Spanish: fuerte Pronunciation for fuerte adj
  • French: dur Pronunciation for dur adj
  • German: zäh Pronunciation for zäh adj
  • Chinese: 强硬的Pronunciation for 强硬的 adj
  • Arabic: قَاسٍPronunciation for قَاسٍ adj
  • Portuguese: resistentePronunciation for resistente adj
  • Russian: жесткийPronunciation for жесткий adj жесткая
  • Croatian: čvrstPronunciation for čvrst adj čvrsta
  • Czech: pevnýPronunciation for pevný adj
  • Danish: barskPronunciation for barsk adj
  • Dutch: taaiPronunciation for taai adj
  • Finnish: vahvaPronunciation for vahva adj
  • Greek: σκληρόςPronunciation for σκληρός adj σκληρή
  • Italian: duroPronunciation for duro adj dura
  • Japanese: 丈夫なPronunciation for 丈夫な no_posp
  • Korean: 질긴Pronunciation for 질긴 adj
  • Norwegian: tøffPronunciation for tøff adj
  • Polish: nieustępliwyPronunciation for nieustępliwy adj nieustępliwa
  • Brazilian Portuguese: resistentePronunciation for resistente adj
  • European Spanish: fuerte Pronunciation for fuerte adj
  • Swedish: tuffPronunciation for tuff adj tufft
  • Thai: ที่ทนทานPronunciation for ที่ทนทาน adj
  • Turkish: sağlamPronunciation for sağlam adj
  • Vietnamese: daiPronunciation for dai adj

Usage examples

  • David might face criminal charges; at any event the sawmill, the entire town, would face tough times.
    Stuart Harrison, LOST SUMMER (2002)
  • Venice Sizzles Carla Passino finds the buyers ' market in Venice a tough one as Italians increasingly choose to invest in property.
    Country Life (2004)
  • Quotes of the week "The title race is not over, everyone's got tough games coming up.
    Irish Times (2002)
  • Smith's explanation of what makes the Lions such a tough challenge is akin to comparing it with rugby's version of the Olympics.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • The streets were shod with pieces of tough basalt fitted together in a coarse jigsaw.
    Richard Fortey, THE EARTH: An Intimate History (2004)

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