What does "tough" mean?
A person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully.
Tough
/tʌf/ adj, intj, noun, verb, slang
adj, intj, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully.
- Grammar: tough is listed as adj, intj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: hard, sturdy, abiding, abstruse.
- Useful contrasts: brittle, brittler, brittlest.
- Usage evidence: No sooner had we finished working on one tough problem than the president sent us yet another straight from the top.
How to use "tough"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tough" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tough" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tough" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tough" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tough" is acting as adj, intj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "hard" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tough", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully.
"They were doing fine until they encountered a bunch of toughs from the opposition."
- 2 a cruel and brutal fellow wordnet
- 3 an aggressive and violent young criminal wordnet
- 4 someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing wordnet
Verb
- 1 To endure.
"We shall reminisce on how we toughed it through the winters as they reached the firm, long arm around to give the cold embrace, with ardor seldom loosed till warm winds Marched or Apriled in to soften winter's knuckles -- send rivulets of courage down to dandelions and tulips."
- 2 To toughen.
Adjective
- 1 Strong and resilient; sturdy.
"The tent, made of tough canvas, held up to many abuses."
- 2 Difficult to cut or chew.
"To soften a tough cut of meat, the recipe suggested simmering it for hours."
- 3 Rugged or physically hardy.
"Only a tough species will survive in the desert."
- 4 Stubborn or persistent; capable of stubbornness or persistence.
"He had a reputation as a tough negotiator."
- 5 Harsh or severe. usually
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Rowdy or rough.
"A bunch of the tough boys from the wrong side of the tracks threatened him."
- 7 Difficult or demanding. usually
"This is a tough crowd."
- 8 Undergoing plastic deformation before breaking. material
- 9 Strict, not lenient.
"tough on crime"
Adjective
- 1 feeling physical discomfort or pain (‘tough’ is occasionally used colloquially for ‘bad’) wordnet
- 2 substantially made or constructed wordnet
- 3 making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe wordnet
- 4 very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution wordnet
- 5 unfortunate or hard to bear wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 resistant to cutting or chewing wordnet
- 7 physically toughened wordnet
- 8 not given to gentleness or sentimentality wordnet
- 9 violent and lawless wordnet
Intj
- 1 Used to indicate lack of sympathy slang
"If you don't like it, tough!"
Example
"No sooner had we finished working on one tough problem than the president sent us yet another straight from the top."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tough"?
Common synonyms include: hard, sturdy, abiding, abstruse, ace-high, acute.
How do you use "tough" in a sentence?
No sooner had we finished working on one tough problem than the president sent us yet another straight from the top.
How do you pronounce "tough"?
Pronounced /tʌf/.
Etymology
From Middle English tough, towgh, tou, toȝ, from Old English tōh (“tough, tenacious, holding fast together; pliant; sticky, glutinous, clammy”), from Proto-West Germanic *tą̄h(ī), from Proto-Germanic *tanhuz (“fitting; clinging; tenacious; tough”), from Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- (“to bite”). Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian toai, Low German tei, tah, tage, Dutch taai, Luxembourgish zéi, German zäh(e), Bavarian zaach, all principally “chewy, leathery, sticky”, and hence “tenacious, resilient, dogged”.