tough

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[ UK /tˈʌf/ ]
[ US /ˈtəf/ ]

ADJECTIVE

physically toughened
the tough bottoms of his feet
resistant to cutting or chewing
substantially made or constructed
a tough all-weather fabric
some plastics are as tough as metal
sturdy steel shelves
sturdy canvas
feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad')
he was feeling tough after a restless night
my throat feels bad
she felt bad all over
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
a tough character
very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution
it was a tough job
a rugged competitive examination
the rugged conditions of frontier life
the competition was tough
it's a tough life
violent and lawless
the more ruffianly element
tough street gangs
unfortunate or hard to bear
had hard luck
a tough break
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

NOUN

a cruel and brutal fellow
someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing
an aggressive and violent young criminal

Top Definitions Examples

How To Use tough In A Sentence

Deefer took others off to see if there might not be a few plump wherries in the hills; they would make a nice change from the tough herdbeast meat, the supply of which was now virtually ex - hausted. Nerilka's Story
He had to toughen his skin against constant and vile abuse. The Sun
Hale and hearty, though aged, strong-featured, with the tough and leathery skin produced by long years of sunbeat and weatherbeat, his was the unmistakable sea face and eyes; and at once there came to me a bit of Kipling's A Winner of the Victoria Cross
Rob's strengths lay in absorbing the pressure and criticism, and in doing this well he more than proved himself courageous, gutsy and tough.
The white plates are composed of a very tough but light titanium alloy that provides a good deal of extra protection to the body's vitals.
His self-image is rooted in robotic toughness, like the shape-shifting, molten-metal fiend in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
When the toughest of the problems strike me, I just remind myself that God is on my side. RVM
The government is proposing tougher punishments for officials convicted of corruption.
Tough, stylish, and super comfy, this leather slip-on is the perfect after-sport snowshoe.
Mineral filled, toughened, lubricated polybutylene terephthalate resin for injection moldingsurface aesthetics.

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