tough
tough — adjective
1. describes an object or material that is built to resist damage, pressure, or wea
describes an object or material that is built to resist damage, pressure, or wear without breaking or tearing easily.
Asher's backpack fabric is so tough it survived three years of daily use.
collocation: tough fabric / tough material
Hyun bought a pair of tough work gloves for gardening and moving bricks.
collocation: tough gloves / tough boots / tough gear
A tough plastic cover protects the screen from scratches when you drop the phone.
The old wooden table in the kitchen was tough enough to hold a hundred plates.
用法筆記
Commonly modifies manufactured items (fabric, leather, plastic, metal, glass). The opposite is fragile or delicate.
常見錯誤
2. describes a person who remains strong and does not give up when faced with pain,
describes a person who remains strong and does not give up when faced with pain, problems, or emotionally difficult situations.
After losing her job, Élise stayed tough and started applying for new positions right away.
pattern: stay + tough
Karim has been through a lot this year, but his tough spirit keeps him going.
collocation: tough spirit
Children can be surprisingly tough when they face change in their family life.
The clinic nurses are tough — they handle emergencies daily without complaint.
Walid was raised to be tough, so he rarely complains even when things get hard.
- resilient
more formal; emphasises the ability to recover quickly
- hardy
suggests physical toughness that endures harsh conditions
- strong-willed
focuses on determination rather than emotional endurance
用法筆記
Often used in the pattern 'tough enough to [verb]' (e.g., 'tough enough to handle the news'). Distinguish from sense 6 (VIOLENT): a resilient person is emotionally strong, not aggressive toward others.
常見錯誤
3. describes a person or rule that demands others follow limits or standards exactl
describes a person or rule that demands others follow limits or standards exactly, and does not make exceptions or show sympathy when the rules are broken.
Coach Mateo is tough on players who arrive late — they run extra laps.
collocation: tough on [someone]
The school has a tough policy against using phones during class.
collocation: tough policy / tough rules / tough laws
Abigail's parents were tough about homework: no TV until all assignments were finished.
The judge gave a tough sentence to send a message to other criminals.
- lenient
not strict; allowing exceptions and flexibility
- permissive
allowing great freedom, especially in discipline
用法筆記
Common in the pattern 'tough on [someone/something]'. Unlike sense 4 (DIFFICULT), this sense always involves a person or authority setting hard standards. A tough exam (sense 4) is hard to pass; a tough teacher (sense 3) grades strictly.
常見錯誤
4. describes a task, problem, or situation that demands a lot of effort, skill, or
describes a task, problem, or situation that demands a lot of effort, skill, or patience to complete, understand, or deal with.
The final exam was so tough that half the students ran out of time.
collocation: tough exam / tough test / tough question
Finding an affordable apartment in this city is a tough challenge for young families.
collocation: tough challenge
Nadia faced a tough decision between staying with her family or moving abroad for work.
The mountain trail is tough for beginners because of the steep climb near the top.
Repairing the old motorcycle engine proved tougher than Shanti had expected.
- hard
the closest synonym; slightly less informal
- challenging
more positive; suggests the difficulty is rewarding
- demanding
focuses on the effort required rather than complexity
用法筆記
Common in the pattern 'it is tough to [verb]' (e.g., 'It's tough to find parking downtown'). Can also be used with 'have a tough time [v-ing]' to describe difficulty during an experience.
常見錯誤
5. describes food that is firm and difficult to cut with a knife, bite through, or
describes food that is firm and difficult to cut with a knife, bite through, or chew, often because it has been cooked too long or is naturally fibrous.
The steak was so tough that Dewi had to ask for a sharper knife.
collocation: tough steak / tough meat
Renata left the chicken in the oven too long, and it turned dry and tough.
These apples are tough on the outside but sweet and soft inside.
Grandpa's bread got so tough we soaked it in soup before eating.
用法筆記
The opposite is tender (for meat) or soft (for bread, fruit). Overcooking is the most common cause of tough meat. This sense only applies to food — do not confuse with sense 1 (STRONG MATERIAL), which applies to non-edible objects.
常見錯誤
6. describes a person, place, or situation that involves aggression, crime, or a ro
describes a person, place, or situation that involves aggression, crime, or a rough, unkind atmosphere where violence is likely.
The neighbourhood turned tough after the factory closed and many people lost their jobs.
collocation: tough neighbourhood / tough area
A group of tough-looking teenagers stood outside the station, watching every passer-by.
collocation: tough-looking
The movie is about a tough cop who takes the law into his own hands.
Life in the prison was rough and tough, with fights breaking out almost every week.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (RESILIENT PERSON): a 'tough person' in this sense is aggressive and dangerous, not emotionally strong. Modifies settings (neighbourhood, school, prison) or appearances (tough-looking, tough guy).
常見錯誤
7. describes a situation that is bad, unfair, or hard to accept, often with a sugge
describes a situation that is bad, unfair, or hard to accept, often with a suggestion that the person affected did not deserve it.
It's tough that Rachid's flight was cancelled and he missed the whole conference.
pattern: it's tough that [clause]
Anjali had a tough break — her car broke down on the way to the interview.
collocation: tough break
Losing your wallet right before payday is a tough situation to be in.
Zuri's team had a tough loss in the final match, losing by only one point.
- unfortunate
more formal and neutral; no sympathy implied
- hard
less specific; can describe emotional difficulty too
- bad
very general; less emotive
用法筆記
Common in 'tough luck' (sympathetic or unsympathetic, depending on tone) and 'tough break'. See also sense 8 (NO SYMPATHY), which uses similar phrasing but with a dismissive intention.
常見錯誤
8. a brief, cold thing to say when you believe someone caused their own trouble and
a brief, cold thing to say when you believe someone caused their own trouble and see no reason to care.
When Benjamin complained about the long walk, his sister just shrugged and said, "Tough!"
collocation: 'Tough!' as a single-word response
Aylin's friends said "tough luck" when she realised she forgot her raincoat in the storm.
collocation: tough luck (dismissive use)
The manager told the team "That's tough" when they asked for a deadline extension.
Mateo never studied so he failed — nobody felt sorry, just "tough luck."
用法筆記
Always used in short spoken remarks: 'Tough!', 'Tough luck', 'That's tough.' Distinguish from sense 7 (UNFORTUNATE): sense 7 is sympathetic; this sense is deliberately unsympathetic. The difference depends entirely on tone and context.
常見錯誤
tough — noun
1. a person who is rough, aggressive, and likely to use violence, especially in a c
a person who is rough, aggressive, and likely to use violence, especially in a criminal context.
A group of young toughs gathered on the corner, shouting at people passing by.
plural: toughs
The bar owner hired a couple of toughs to keep troublemakers out of the place.
Naoko's father warned her about the toughs near the train station.
In old western movies, the town tough always started the fight first.
- gentle soul
a kind, non-violent person
用法筆記
Outdated or literary in many contexts; 'thug' is more common in modern English. Typically used in plural (toughs) or with a definite article (the toughs). Slightly old-fashioned.
常見錯誤
tough — adverb
1. in a manner that shows determination, strength, or a lack of sympathy, especiall
in a manner that shows determination, strength, or a lack of sympathy, especially in response to a challenge or complaint.
The players acted tough when the coach told them to run another mile.
pattern: act tough
Esteban talks tough with friends but at home he is kind and gentle.
collocation: talk tough
The government is playing tough on trade with neighbouring countries this year.
Devika tried to act tough after the accident but everyone saw she was in pain.
用法筆記
Only appears after a small set of verbs: talk tough, act tough, play tough. The adverb form is not as flexible as the adjective form — cannot be used freely to modify other verbs.
常見錯誤
tough — verb
1. to stay strong and keep going through a painful, difficult, or unpleasant experi
to stay strong and keep going through a painful, difficult, or unpleasant experience instead of giving up or leaving.
The power was out for days, but neighbours toughed it out without complaining.
phrasal pattern: tough it out
Andrew decided to tough out the whole semester even though he hated his classes.
pattern: tough out [something]
Wren knew the hike would be hard, but she toughed it out to the top.
The team toughed out the final minutes with only six players on the field.
文法句型
tough + it + out
用法筆記
Almost always used as a phrasal verb: 'tough it out' (with object pronoun 'it') or 'tough out [something]'. Rarely used without 'out'. The object must be an unpleasant situation, not a person.