Tough (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution; "a rugged competitive examination"; "the rugged conditions of frontier life"; "the competition was tough"; "it's a tough life"; "it was a tough job".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The competition for the college scholarship was tough for all the applicants.
- He had a tough time adjusting to the harsh climate of the new city.
- It's a tough job that requires a lot of physical labor and long hours.
- The marathon was tough, but she trained hard and managed to finish.
- Life on the streets can be tough, especially for homeless children.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad'); "my throat feels bad"; "she felt bad all over"; "he was feeling tough after a restless night".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Usages
Synonyms
Meaning 3
Not given to gentleness or sentimentality; "a tough character".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- She had a tough reputation as a businesswoman who always got what she wanted.
- He was a tough old sailor who had spent his life at sea.
- Her tough exterior hid a kind heart, but few people ever got to see that side of her.
- The coach was a tough taskmaster who pushed his players to their limits.
- The detective was known for being a tough, no-nonsense kind of guy who always cracked his cases.
Antonyms
Meaning 4
Violent and lawless; "the more ruffianly element"; "tough street gangs".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Meaning 5
Substantially made or constructed; "sturdy steel shelves"; "sturdy canvas"; "a tough all-weather fabric"; "some plastics are as tough as metal".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Meaning 6
Resistant to cutting or chewing.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Antonyms
Related Words
Meaning 7
Unfortunate or hard to bear; "had hard luck"; "a tough break".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Meaning 8
Making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe; "a baffling problem"; "I faced the knotty problem of what to have for breakfast"; "a problematic situation at home".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 9
Physically toughened; "the tough bottoms of his feet".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The construction workers' hands were tough and hardened from years of manual labor.
- After hiking for hours, her feet had developed tough calluses that protected her from further discomfort.
- The tough, leathery skin on the baseball player's palms was a testament to his years of dedication to the sport.
- The farmer's tough, weathered hands were well-suited for handling the rough farm equipment.
- Years of walking barefoot in the desert had left the nomad with tough, crack-resistant skin on the soles of his feet.