tough

UK: /ˈtʌf/ US: /tʌf/ ,(tuf )

Inflections of 'tough' (adj):

tougher

adj comparative

toughest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

tough /tʌf/   adj. -er, -est, adv., n., v. 
adj. 

1. strong and long-lasting:
   tough plastics.
2. difficult to chew;
   not tender:
   a tough steak.
3. capable of great endurance;
   hardy:
   tough troops.
4. not easily influenced, as a person;
   stubborn:
   a tough negotiator.
5. difficult to perform or deal with:
   a very tough exam.
   [It + be + ~ + to + verb]
   It's tough to get a good grade from him.
6. hard to bear or suffer through;
   severe:
   a tough struggle to succeed.
7. vicious;
   rough;
   violent:
   a tough neighborhood.
8. [Informal.] unfortunate;
   bad:
   tough luck.

adv. 

9. in a tough manner:
   They play tough, but not dirty.

n. [countable]

10. a rough, tough person who attacks others;
    a rowdy.

v. Idiom.

11. Informal Terms, Idioms tough it out, [no object] to keep going and resist hardship or difficulty:
    Instead of giving up, they decided to tough it out.

tough•ly, adv. 
tough•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

tough  (tuf ),  adj., -er, -est, adv., n., v. 
adj. 

1. strong and durable;
   not easily broken or cut.
2. not brittle or tender.
3. difficult to masticate, as food:
   a tough steak.
4. of viscous consistency, as liquid or semiliquid matter:
   tough molasses.
5. capable of great endurance;
   sturdy;
   hardy:
   tough troops.
6. not easily influenced, as a person;
   unyielding;
   stubborn:
   a tough man to work for.
7. hardened;
   incorrigible:
   a tough criminal.
8. difficult to perform, accomplish, or deal with;
   hard, trying, or troublesome:
   a tough problem.
9. hard to bear or endure (often used ironically):
   tough luck.
10. vigorous;
    severe;
    violent:
    a tough struggle.
11. vicious;
    rough;
    rowdyish:
    a tough character; a tough neighborhood.
12. practical, realistic, and lacking in sentimentality;
    tough-minded.
13. [Slang.] remarkably excellent;
    first-rate;
    great.
14. hang tough, [Slang.] See hang (def. 50).

adv. 

15. in a tough manner.

n. 

16. a ruffian;
    rowdy.

v.t. 

17. tough it out, [Informal.] to endure or resist hardship or adversity.

• bef. 900; Middle English (adjective, adjectival); Old English tōh; compare Dutch taai, German zäh(e)

tough ′ly, adv. 
tough ′ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. firm, hard.
• 5. durable.
• 6. inflexible.

Antonyms

• 1. fragile.
• 5. feeble, weak.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tough / tʌf/ adjective

1. strong or resilient; durable: a tough material
2. not tender: she could not eat the tough steak
3. having a great capacity for endurance; hardy and fit: a tough mountaineer
4. rough or pugnacious: a tough gangster
5. resolute or intractable: a tough employer
6. difficult or troublesome to do or deal with: a tough problem
7. unfortunate or unlucky: it's tough on him

noun

1. a rough, vicious, or pugnacious person

adverb

1. violently, aggressively, or intractably: to treat someone tough
2. hang tough ⇒ to be or appear to be strong or determined

verb

1. (transitive) to stand firm, hold out against (a difficulty or difficult situation) (esp in tough it out)

Etymology: Old English tōh; related to Old High German zāhi tough, Old Norse tā trodden ground in front of a house

ˈtoughish adjective

ˈtoughly adverb