No sooner had we finished working on one tough problem than the president sent us yet another straight from the top.
Source: tatoeba (27446)
Tough
/tʌf/
Synonyms for "tough" (627 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (126)
abidingabstruseace-highacuteadamantadamantineadherentadhesiveage-longagedaggressiveamylaceousancientantaeusantiquearbitraryarduousastringentathleticatlas
Show 91 more words
austereauthoritarianbackbreakingbadbafflingbang upbang-upbarbarianbattlerbeastbeldambelligerentbelted knightberserkberserkerbeyond onebickererbladebomberbonybonzerbossbravobrawlerbrawnybriareusbrobdingnagianbruiserbrutalbrutebulkybulldoggedbulldoggishbulldoggybullheadedbullybullyboyburdensomeburlybut goodcallouscartilaginouscementcementalcharles atlaschewychronicclabberedclammyclingyclottedcoagulatedcohesivecoldcolossuscombatantcompetitorcomplexcomplicatedconcreteconfirmedconstantcontendercontestantcontinuingcoolcoriaceouscorkingcorneouscrabbedcrackerjackcrampcriminalcriticalcrushingcurdledcuttingcyclopsdandydelicatedeliciousdemandingdemondensedevildiamondlikedifficiledifficultdisputantdiuturnaldomineering
Noun(5 words)
Strong matches (188)
doughtydoughydourdragondrasticduckyduelistdurabledureeffortfulenduringenforcerevergreenexactingexcessiveexigentexorbitantextravagantextremefab
Show 144 more words
fencerfeuderfibrousfiendfiercefighterfighting cockfine and dandyfire eaterfire-eaterfirebrandfirmfixedflintlikeflintyfoilsmanforcedformidablefuriousfurygamegamecockgamygangstergarbledgaumygeargelatinousgiantgladiatorglairygluelikeglueyglutenousglutinoseglutinousgoliathgooeygoongorillagranitelikegraniticgreatgrievousgrimgristlygrittygroovygruelinggrumousgumbogumbolikegumlikegummousgummygungunselgutsyguttyhairyhardhard as nailshard earnedhard foughthard to understandhard-bittenhard-boiledhard-earnedhard-foughthard-linehard-nosedhard-sethardenedhardheartedhardnosehardyharshhatchet manheavyheftyhell raiserhell-raiserhellcathellhoundhellionherculeanherculesholy terrorhoodhoodlumhooliganhornyhothotheadhotspurhunky doryhunky-doryhuskyicyimmoderateimmutableincendiaryinflexibleinspissatedintemperateintenseintractableintransientintrepidintricateinuredinveterateirksomeiron-hardironlikejam-upjawbreakingjelledjelliedjellylikejousterjumbledjust dandykeenkillerkillingknightknottedknottylaboredlaboriouslapideouslastingleatherlikeleatherylithoidlithoidallong lastinglong livedlong standinglong termlong-lastinglong-livedlong-standing
Noun(15 words)
Related words (313)
long-termlongevallongevousmacrobioticmad dogmadcapmafiosomanlymarblemarblelikemarvymassivemeanmercilessmeticulousmettlesomemilitantmonstermucilaginousmucker
Show 247 more words
mugmuggermuscle manmuscularmystifyingnailnarrowneatnervyniftyno picnicnobbynot easyobdurateobfuscatedobscureobscuredobstinateof long durationof long standingokokayonerousoperoseoppressiveosseousout of sightout of this worldoutrageousovertechnicalpainfulpastypeachypeachy-keenperdurableperduringperennialpermanentperpetualperplexedperplexingpersistentpersistingpertinaciouspicnicpiercingpluckyplug uglyplug-uglypolyphemuspowerfulpowerhouseprocrusteanproofpunishingpunkpuzzlingquarrelerrapistrealisticred bloodedred-bloodedrefractoryregrettablerelentlessremainingresistantresistiveresoluterevolutionaryrigidrigorousrioterrippingrivalrocklikerockyrodmanropyroughroughneckrowdyruffianruggedrumruthlesssabreursamsonsavagescrambledscrapperscrumptiousscufflerself-adhesivesempervirentseriousserviceableset with thornsseveresharpshe-wolfsinewyslabbyslap-upslimyslitherysmashingsolidsomething elsesoundspartanspartanicspiffingspiffyspinyspiritedspiritfulspitfiresplittingspunkysquabblerstablestalwartstarchystaunchstayingsteadfaststeadysteellikesteelysteepsternstickablestickystiffstodgystonelikestonystoutstrainedstrappingstreetfighterstrenuousstrictstringentstringystrongstrong armstrong manstrong-arm manstrong-armerstrugglerstubbornstunningsturdysubstantialsuperincumbentsupermanswashbucklerswellswordswordplayerswordsmansyrupytackytarzantauttaxingtenacioustermagantterribleterrorterroristthe mightythe strongthickthick-skinnedthickenedthornythugticklishtigertighttigresstiltertitantoilsometorpedotough as leathertough guytower of strengthtremelloidtremellosetrickytrigger mantroublesometryingtusslerugly customerunalterableunaskedunbendingunbreakableuncaringuncompromisingunconscionableunderprivilegedunfadingunfeelingungivingunkindunrulyunsentimentalunsparingunsympatheticuntiringunyieldinguphillvehementvenomousvigorousviolentviragovirilevirulentviscidviscoseviscousvitalvixenwearisomeweightywell-builtwell-constructedwell-foundedwell-groundedwell-madewickedwild beastwirywitchwithstandingwizardwolfwrangleryahooyoung turk
Adjective(28 words)
low fragilitymanliestproblematicproblematicalresilientresilient ecosystemresilient ecosystemsrobustrobust evidence basesrobust governmental oversightroughruffianlyruggedsteelieststiff competitionstifferstiffeststoicstreet toughstrong
Show 8 more words
strong motivationsstrong physical evidencestrong willedtough guytoughenedtrickiestuninvitingurban ecosystem resilient
Noun(16 words)
math challengingpunkrawhideresilient organizationroughneckrowdyruffianstreet fighterstrong-armerthugtoughietroublemakerweatherproofyobyobboyobo
Determiner(1 words)
no tearing
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: hard, sturdy, abiding, abstruse, ace-high.
- Sentence evidence is available for tough, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "tough".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "tough"
Keep "tough" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "tough" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "tough", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "tough" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
23 entriesShowing 16 of 23 words.
More specific
13 entriesapproval exclamationarduous taskbullydurabilityemotional exclamationfightergrithard taskpity exclamationstaminastreet toughsturdinesssympathy exclamation
Collocations
14 entriestough assignmenttough calltough casetough cookietough crowdtough customertough daytough decisiontough guytough lucktough nuttough problemtough situationtough test
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
5 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
38 entriesShowing 16 of 38 words.
Translations
18 translations across 13 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- труден adj (harsh or severe)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 艱苦 /艰苦 adj (harsh or severe)
Finnish
1 entries- ankara adj (harsh or severe)
Galician
1 entries- duro adj (harsh or severe)
Georgian
1 entries- მკაცრი adj (harsh or severe)
Japanese
3 entries- きつい adj (harsh or severe)
- たいへん adj (harsh or severe)
- 辛い adj (harsh or severe)
Khmer
1 entries- ប្រិត adj (harsh or severe)
Māori
1 entries- taikaha adj (harsh or severe)
Portuguese
1 entries- severo adj (harsh or severe)
Russian
3 entries- тру́дный adj (harsh or severe)
- тя́жкий adj (harsh or severe)
- тяжёлый adj (harsh or severe)
Spanish
2 entries- rudo adj (harsh or severe)
- severo adj (harsh or severe)
Swedish
1 entries- svår adj (harsh or severe)
Vietnamese
1 entries- khắc nghiệt adj (harsh or severe)
Sample sentences
29 total sentences available.
Donkeys are tough animals.
Source: tatoeba (29333)
To begin with, that kind of work is too tough for me.
Source: tatoeba (32754)
We had a tough job.
Source: tatoeba (39751)
Showing 4 of 29 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "tough"?
Closest matches include hard, sturdy, abiding, abstruse, ace-high.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "tough"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.