Definition of Tough

1. Noun. Someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing.

Exact synonyms: Street Fighter
Generic synonyms: Battler, Belligerent, Combatant, Fighter, Scrapper

2. Adjective. Not given to gentleness or sentimentality. "A tough character"

3. Noun. An aggressive and violent young criminal.
Exact synonyms: Goon, Hood, Hoodlum, Punk, Strong-armer, Thug, Toughie
Specialized synonyms: Bully
Generic synonyms: Criminal, Crook, Felon, Malefactor, Outlaw
Derivative terms: Strong-arm, Strong-arm

4. Adjective. Very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution. "It was a tough job"
Exact synonyms: Rugged
Similar to: Difficult, Hard
Derivative terms: Ruggedness, Toughness

5. Noun. A cruel and brutal fellow.
Exact synonyms: Bully, Hooligan, Roughneck, Rowdy, Ruffian, Yob, Yobbo, Yobo
Generic synonyms: Aggressor, Assailant, Assaulter, Attacker
Specialized synonyms: Bullyboy, Muscle, Muscleman, Skinhead, Plug-ugly, Tough Guy
Derivative terms: Bully, Ruffianly

6. Adjective. Physically toughened. "The tough bottoms of his feet"

7. Adjective. Substantially made or constructed. "Some plastics are as tough as metal"
Exact synonyms: Sturdy
Similar to: Rugged
Derivative terms: Sturdiness

8. Adjective. Violent and lawless. "Tough street gangs"
Exact synonyms: Ruffianly
Similar to: Violent
Derivative terms: Ruffian

9. Adjective. Feeling physical discomfort or pain ('tough' is occasionally used colloquially for 'bad'). "He was feeling tough after a restless night"
Exact synonyms: Bad
Language type: Colloquialism
Similar to: Uncomfortable
Derivative terms: Badness

10. Adjective. Resistant to cutting or chewing.

11. Adjective. Unfortunate or hard to bear. "A tough break"
Exact synonyms: Hard
Similar to: Bad
Derivative terms: Hardness

12. Adjective. Making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe. "A problematic situation at home"
Exact synonyms: Baffling, Elusive, Knotty, Problematic, Problematical
Similar to: Difficult, Hard
Derivative terms: Knottiness, Problem, Problem, Toughness

Definition of Tough

1. a. Having the quality of flexibility without brittleness; yielding to force without breaking; capable of resisting great strain; as, the ligaments of animals are remarkably tough.

Definition of Tough

1. Adjective. strong and resilient; sturdy ¹

2. Adjective. (context: of food) difficult to cut or chew ¹

3. Adjective. rugged or physically hardy ¹

4. Adjective. Stubborn. ¹

5. Adjective. (context: of weather etc) harsh or severe ¹

6. Adjective. rowdy or rough. ¹

7. Adjective. (context: of questions etc) difficult or demanding ¹

8. Adjective. (context: material science) Undergoing plastic deformation before breaking. ¹

9. Interjection. (slang) (non-gloss definition Used to indicate lack of sympathy) ¹

10. Noun. A person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully. ¹

11. Verb. To endure. ¹

12. Verb. To toughen. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Tough

1. strong and resilient [adj TOUGHER, TOUGHEST] / to endure hardship [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Tough

touchpoints
touchscreen
touchscreens
touchstone
touchstones
toucht
touchtone
touchtones
touchup
touchups
touchwood
touchwoods
touchy
touchy-feeliness
touchy-feely
tough (current term)
tough-head
tough-minded
tough-pitch
tough-skinned
tough call
tough case
tough cookie
tough cookies
tough crowd
tough guy
tough love
tough luck
tough nut to crack
tough nuts to crack

Literary usage of Tough

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge (1918)
"Its tough, hard, white wood makes excellent fuel and is highly valued for ... Its wood is softer than that of the preceding, but, being tough and easily ..."

2. The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture: A Discussion for the Amateur, and by Liberty Hyde Bailey (1917)
"with very thick and tough skin and a tough musky flesh, dull purple in color without bloom (in the Scuppernong variety silvery amber- green), ripe in summer ..."

3. The Iliad of Homer by Homer, John Graham Cordery (1871)
"Of tough bull-hide, but pierced not through ; the shaft Dropp'd, broken at the splice ; Dei'phobus Held from himself his buckler out, in fear, ..."

4. Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain (1883)
"tough YARNS. STACK ISLAND. I remembered Stack Island ; also Lake Providence, Louisiana—which is the first distinctly Southern-looking town you come to, ..."

5. Journal by Iron and Steel Institute (1899)
"The latter type would be easily broken up, whereas the former would be strong and tough. It is of course well known, all other things remaining constant, ..."

6. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and (1911)
"... their own. in general form like the plug and ring gauges, using a hard quality of steel for small sizes or a tough quality of cast iron for the larger. ..."

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