Meaning of 'tough'

adjective

feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad')

Synonyms: bad

adjective

substantially made or constructed

Synonyms: sturdy

adjective

making great mental demands

Synonyms: elusive

adjective

very difficult

Synonyms: rugged

adjective

unfortunate or hard to bear

Synonyms: hard

adjective

resistant to cutting or chewing

adjective

physically toughened

Example: "The tough bottoms of my feet were earned by walking barefoot for an entire summer."

Synonyms: toughened

adjective

not given to gentleness or sentimentality

Example: "a tough character"

adjective

violent and lawless

Synonyms: ruffianly

noun

a cruel and brutal fellow

Synonyms: bully rowdy hooligan ruffian roughneck yob yobo yobbo

noun

an aggressive and violent young criminal

Synonyms: hood

noun

someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing

Synonyms: street fighter