tough
pronunciation
How to pronounce tough in British English:
UK [tʌf]
How to pronounce tough in American English:
US [tʌf]
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- Noun:
- someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing
- an aggressive and violent young criminal
- a cruel and brutal fellow
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- Adjective:
- not given to gentleness or sentimentality
- very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution
- physically toughened
- substantially made or constructed
- violent and lawless
- feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad')
- tough to cut or chew
- unfortunate or hard to bear
Word Origin
- tough (adj.)
- Old English toh "strong and firm in texture, tenacious, sticky," from Proto-Germanic *tanhu- (cognates: Middle Low German tege, Middle Dutch taey, Dutch taai, Old High German zach, German zäh), which Watkins suggests is from PIE *denk- "to bite," from the notion of "holding fast." See rough for spelling change. From c. 1200 as "strong, powerful;" c. 1300 as "not tender or fragile;" early 14c. as "difficult to chew," also "hard to endure." Figurative sense of "steadfast" is mid-14c.; that of "hard to do, trying, laborious" is from 1610s. Verb tough it "endure the experience" is first recorded 1830, American English. Tough guy attested from 1901. Tough-minded first recorded 1907 in William James. Tough luck first recorded 1912; tough shit, dismissive retort to a complaint, is from 1946.
- tough (n.)
- "street ruffian," 1866, American English, from tough (adj.).
Example
- 1. Britain has introduced a tough anti-bribery law too .
- 2. Which leaves getting tough with china .
- 3. Liverpool has been through tough times .
- 4. When the going gets tough , the tough take a coffee break .
- 5. It will be a tough job for anyone .