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Webster 1913 Edition

Tough

Tough

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Tougher
;
sup
erl.
Toughest
.]
[OE.
tough
, AS.
tōh
, akin to D.
taai
, LG.
taa
,
tage
,
tau
, OHG.
zāhi
, G.
zähe
, and also to AS. ge
tenge
near to, close to, oppressive, OS. bi
tengi
.]
1.
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
.
“Tough roots and stubs. ”
Milton.
2.
Not easily broken; able to endure hardship; firm; strong; – of objects and people;
as,
tough
sinews
.
Cowper.
A body made of brass, the crone demands, . . .
Tough
to the last, and with no toil to tire.
Dryden.
The basis of his character was caution combined with
tough
tenacity of purpose.
J. A. Symonds.
3.
Not easily separated; viscous; clammy; tenacious;
as,
tough
phlegm
.
4.
Stiff; rigid; not flexible; stubborn;
as, a
tough
bow
.
So
tough
a frame she could not bend.
Dryden.
5.
Severe; violent;
as, a
tough
storm
.
[Colloq.]
“ A tough debate. ”
Fuller.
To make it tough
,
to make it a matter of difficulty; to make it a hard matter.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.

Webster 1828 Edition

Tough

TOUGH

,
Adj.
tuf.
1.
Having the quality of flexibility without brittleness; yielding to force without breaking. The ligaments of animals and of India rubber are remarkably tough. Tough timber, like young ash, is the most proper for the shafts and springs of a carriage.
2.
Firm; strong; not easily broken; able to endure hardship; as an animal of a tough frame.
3.
Not easily separated; viscous; clammy; tenacious; ropy; as tough phlegm.
4.
Stiff; not flexible.

Definition 2024

tough

tough

English

Adjective

tough ‎(comparative tougher, superlative toughest)

  1. Strong and resilient; sturdy.
    The tent, made of tough canvas, held up to many abuses.
  2. (of food) Difficult to cut or chew.
    To soften a tough cut of meat, the recipe suggested simmering it for hours.
  3. Rugged or physically hardy.
    Only a tough species will survive in the desert.
  4. Stubborn.
    He had a reputation as a tough negotiator.
  5. (of weather etc) Harsh or severe.
  6. Rowdy or rough.
    A bunch of the tough boys from the wrong side of the tracks threatened him.
  7. (of questions, etc.) Difficult or demanding.
    This is a tough crowd.
  8. (material science) Undergoing plastic deformation before breaking.

Derived terms

Translations

Interjection

tough

  1. (slang) Used to indicate lack of sympathy
    If you don't like it, tough!

Translations

Noun

tough ‎(plural toughs)

  1. A person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully.
    They were doing fine until they encountered a bunch of toughs from the opposition.

Translations

Verb

tough ‎(third-person singular simple present toughs, present participle toughing, simple past and past participle toughed)

  1. To endure.
  2. To toughen.

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

German

Etymology

From English tough; see also "taff".

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /taf/

Adjective

tough ‎(comparative tougher, superlative am toughsten or am toughesten)

  1. (slang) Alternative form of taff: tough; robust; assertive and not overly sensitive

Declension

declension with am toughsten
Comparative forms of tough
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative er ist tougher sie ist tougher es ist tougher sie sind tougher
strong declension
(without article)		 nominative tougherer toughere tougheres toughere
genitive tougheren tougherer tougheren tougherer
dative tougherem tougherer tougherem tougheren
accusative tougheren toughere tougheres toughere
weak declension
(with definite article)		 nominative der toughere die toughere das toughere die tougheren
genitive des tougheren der tougheren des tougheren der tougheren
dative dem tougheren der tougheren dem tougheren den tougheren
accusative den tougheren die toughere das toughere die tougheren
mixed declension
(with indefinite article)		 nominative ein tougherer eine toughere ein tougheres (keine) tougheren
genitive eines tougheren einer tougheren eines tougheren (keiner) tougheren
dative einem tougheren einer tougheren einem tougheren (keinen) tougheren
accusative einen tougheren eine toughere ein tougheres (keine) tougheren
declension with am toughesten
Comparative forms of tough
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative er ist tougher sie ist tougher es ist tougher sie sind tougher
strong declension
(without article)		 nominative tougherer toughere tougheres toughere
genitive tougheren tougherer tougheren tougherer
dative tougherem tougherer tougherem tougheren
accusative tougheren toughere tougheres toughere
weak declension
(with definite article)		 nominative der toughere die toughere das toughere die tougheren
genitive des tougheren der tougheren des tougheren der tougheren
dative dem tougheren der tougheren dem tougheren den tougheren
accusative den tougheren die toughere das toughere die tougheren
mixed declension
(with indefinite article)		 nominative ein tougherer eine toughere ein tougheres (keine) tougheren
genitive eines tougheren einer tougheren eines tougheren (keiner) tougheren
dative einem tougheren einer tougheren einem tougheren (keinen) tougheren
accusative einen tougheren eine toughere ein tougheres (keine) tougheren

Etymology

From Middle English tough, towgh, tou, toȝ, from Old English tōh ‎(“tough, tenacious, holding fast together; pliant; sticky, glutinous, clammy”), from Proto-Germanic *tanhuz ‎(“fitting; clinging; tenacious; tough”), from Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- ‎(“to bite”). Cognate with Scots teuch ‎(“tough”), North Frisian tōch, tūch ‎(“tough”), Dutch taai ‎(“tough”), Low German tage, taag, taë, taa ‎(“tough”), German zäh ‎(“tough”), dialectal German zach ‎(“tough; boring”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /tʌf/
  • Rhymes: -ʌf
  • Homophone: tuff

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