adjective
tough
tuhf
adjective
1
Strong and resilient; not easily broken, worn out, or damaged.
"These work boots are made from tough leather."
2
Difficult to cut or chew, describing food.
"The steak was overcooked and tough."
3
Physically or mentally hardy; able to endure difficulty.
"You have to be tough to survive a winter that cold."
"She stayed tough through months of gruelling training."
4
Difficult or demanding, describing a situation, task, or question.
"That was a tough exam."
"We've had a tough year financially."
interjection
1
Used to show a lack of sympathy for someone's complaint.
""I don't want to go." "Tough — you're going anyway.""
How to Use Tough
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishStrong and hard to damage, or (of a situation) difficult and demanding endurance.
Common mistake
As an interjection ("Tough!"), it sounds blunt and dismissive — use it only when you deliberately want to withhold sympathy.
Common pairings
tough as nails
tough luck
tough call
tough love
Word Forms
tougher comparative, toughed past tense, toughs plural, toughs singular, toughest superlative
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These work boots are made from _____ leather.
Etymology
From Old English tōh, meaning "tenacious" or "sticky, holding fast together" — related to words in German (zäh) and Dutch (taai) that carry the same sense.