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tough

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adjective British English pronunciation: tough /tʌf/ 
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adjectivetough
comparativetougher
superlativetoughest
 
  1. 1
    difficult

    He’s having a really tough time at the moment.

    It was a tough decision to move to London.

    Many companies are facing tough competition.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  toughThesaurus entry for this meaning of tough
  2. 2
    strong and able to deal with difficult situations or pain

    I think she’ll be all right because she’s very tough.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  toughThesaurus entry for this meaning of tough
  4. 4
    very strict and severe

    The report contained tough criticism of the company’s management style.

    She’s campaigning for tough new laws on industrial pollution.

    be tough on:

    The new mayor promises to be tough on crime.

    get tough with (=deal with in a severe way):

    She promised to get tough with people who claim benefits fraudulently.

    take a tough stance/stand:

    We must take a tough stance against terrorism.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  toughThesaurus entry for this meaning of tough
  6. 6
    difficult to break or damage

    The tool is made from a very tough and resilient steel.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  toughThesaurus entry for this meaning of tough

derived words

toughly

adverb

a toughly worded message

toughness

noun [uncountable]

An athlete needs to show both physical and mental toughness.

See also

This is the British English definition of tough. View American English definition of tough.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

 

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