-
not given to gentleness or sentimentality;
"a tough character"
-
very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution;
"a rugged competitive examination"
"the rugged conditions of frontier life"
"the competition was tough"
"it's a tough life"
"it was a tough job"
-
physically toughened;
"the tough bottoms of his feet"
-
substantially made or constructed;
"sturdy steel shelves"
"sturdy canvas"
"a tough all-weather fabric"
"some plastics are as tough as metal"
-
violent and lawless;
"the more ruffianly element"
"tough street gangs"
-
feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad');
"my throat feels bad"
"she felt bad all over"
"he was feeling tough after a restless night"
-
resistant to cutting or chewing
-
unfortunate or hard to bear;
"had hard luck"
"a tough break"
-
making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe;
"a baffling problem"
"I faced the knotty problem of what to have for breakfast"
"a problematic situation at home"
