tough
-
(a) not given to gentleness or sentimentality
- a tough character
-
(s) very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution
- a rugged competitive examination
- the rugged conditions of frontier life
- the competition was tough
- it's a tough life
- it was a tough job
-
(a) physically toughened
- the tough bottoms of his feet
-
(s) substantially made or constructed
- sturdy steel shelves
- sturdy canvas
- a tough all-weather fabric
- some plastics are as tough as metal
-
(s) violent and lawless
- the more ruffianly element
- tough street gangs
-
(s) feeling physical discomfort or pain ("tough" is occasionally used colloquially for "bad")
- my throat feels bad
- she felt bad all over
- he was feeling tough after a restless night
- (a) resistant to cutting or chewing
-
(s) unfortunate or hard to bear
- had hard luck
- a tough break
-
(s) 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
Nouns
- (n) someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing street fighter,
- (n) an aggressive and violent young criminal hood, hoodlum, punk, strong-armer, thug, toughie, goon,
- (n) a cruel and brutal fellow bully, hooligan, roughneck, rowdy, ruffian, yob, yobbo, yobo,