tough /tuf/

1. Stiff and dense
2. Tenacious
3. Hard to cut, chew, break up or penetrate
4. Resistant
5. Viscous, sticky
6. Capable of or requiring strenuous effort and endurance
7. Unyielding, resolute
8. Intractable
9. Robust
10. Laborious
11. Refractory
12. Criminal, violent
13. Unlucky, unfortunate (informal)

A rough or aggressive person, esp a criminal or hooligan (also tough guy)

Tough luck

Violently, aggressively

toughˈen transitive verb or intransitive verb

To make or become tough

toughˈener noun

toughˈening noun and adjective

toughˈie noun (informal)

A tough person, difficult or intractable problem, etc

toughˈish adjective

Rather tough

toughˈly adverb

toughˈness noun

tough love noun

The practice of keeping a loved one who has an addiction on a strict regime of abstinence while at the same time showing them love, care, sympathy, etc

tough luck see under luck

tough-mindˈed adjective

Hard-headed, determined, not influenced by sentiment, etc

tough-mindˈedness noun

get tough with (informal)

To deal with (more) severely, sternly

tough out or tough it out (informal)

1. To withstand
2. To endure stoically or defiantly

• attaché-case
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• attackable
• attacked
• attacker
• attackers
• attacking
• attacks
• attagirl
• attain
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• attainability
• attainable
• attainableness
• attainablenesses
• attainder
• attainders
• attained
• attaining
• attainment
• attainments
• attains
• attaint