tough

tough — 形容詞

1. describes an object or material that is built to resist damage, pressure, or wea

1.形容詞B1
釋義

堅固

不易損壞或破裂的材質

describes an object or material that is built to resist damage, pressure, or wear without breaking or tearing easily.

例句

Asher's backpack fabric is so tough it survived three years of daily use.

Asher 的背包布料非常堅固，用了三年都沒破。

collocation: tough fabric / tough material

Hyun bought a pair of tough work gloves for gardening and moving bricks.

Hyun 買了一雙耐用的工作手套，用來整理花園和搬磚頭。

collocation: tough gloves / tough boots / tough gear

同義詞
  • durable

    stronger focus on long-lasting wear rather than resistance to breaking

  • sturdy

    suggests solid construction that supports weight well

  • strong

    more general; does not specifically imply resistance to damage

反義詞
  • fragile

    easily broken or damaged

  • delicate

    easily damaged and requiring careful handling

用法筆記

Commonly modifies manufactured items (fabric, leather, plastic, metal, glass). The opposite is fragile or delicate.

常見錯誤

❌The steak is too tough to cut.' (meaning food texture)
✅The leather jacket is tough enough for motorcycle riding.
💡Use sense 5 for food that is hard to chew; use this sense for durable materials.

2. describes a person who remains strong and does not give up when faced with pain,

2.形容詞B1
釋義

堅強

面對困難不屈不撓的

describes a person who remains strong and does not give up when faced with pain, problems, or emotionally difficult situations.

例句

After losing her job, Élise stayed tough and started applying for new positions right away.

Élise 失業後依然保持堅強，立刻開始投遞履歷找新工作。

pattern: stay + tough

Karim has been through a lot this year, but his tough spirit keeps him going.

Karim 這一年經歷了很多事，但他堅強的意志力支撐著他繼續前進。

collocation: tough spirit

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • weak

    lacking physical or emotional strength

  • fragile

    emotionally delicate and easily upset

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

❌My boss is very tough — she fired three people yesterday.' (meaning strict)
✅My grandmother is very tough
💡she raised six kids alone after my grandfather passed.' — Use sense 3 for strict authority figures; use this sense for emotional strength.

3. describes a person or rule that demands others follow limits or standards exactl

3.形容詞B2
釋義

嚴格

要求嚴格、不寬容違規行為的

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.

例句

Coach Mateo is tough on players who arrive late — they run extra laps.

Mateo 教練對遲到的球員很嚴格——他們必須多跑好幾圈。

collocation: tough on [someone]

The school has a tough policy against using phones during class.

該校對上課使用手機有嚴格的規定。

collocation: tough policy / tough rules / tough laws

同義詞
  • strict

    the most direct synonym; emphasises rule-following

  • harsh

    more negative connotation; suggests unfair severity

  • firm

    less severe than tough; suggests steady, fair enforcement

反義詞
  • 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

❌The math test was really tough.' (meaning difficult)
✅My professor is tough about deadlines
💡she won't accept late work.' — Use sense 4 for tasks/activities that are hard to do; use this sense for people or rules that are severe.

4. describes a task, problem, or situation that demands a lot of effort, skill, or

4.形容詞B1
釋義

困難

需要大量心力或技巧才能完成的

describes a task, problem, or situation that demands a lot of effort, skill, or patience to complete, understand, or deal with.

例句

The final exam was so tough that half the students ran out of time.

期末考太難了，有一半的學生時間到都還沒寫完。

collocation: tough exam / tough test / tough question

Finding an affordable apartment in this city is a tough challenge for young families.

在這個城市找到負擔得起的公寓，對年輕家庭來說是一大挑戰。

collocation: tough challenge

同義詞
  • hard

    the closest synonym; slightly less informal

  • challenging

    more positive; suggests the difficulty is rewarding

  • demanding

    focuses on the effort required rather than complexity

反義詞
  • easy

    not requiring much effort

  • simple

    straightforward and easy to understand or do

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

❌The police are getting tough on drunk driving.' (meaning strict enforcement)
✅Learning to play the violin is tough
💡you need to practise for years.' — This sense describes the difficulty of a task, not the severity of rules or people.

5. describes food that is firm and difficult to cut with a knife, bite through, or

5.形容詞A2
釋義

咬不動

食物難以切開或咀嚼的

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.

例句

The steak was so tough that Dewi had to ask for a sharper knife.

那塊牛排硬得咬不動，Dewi 只好跟服務生要一把更利的刀子。

collocation: tough steak / tough meat

Renata left the chicken in the oven too long, and it turned dry and tough.

Renata 把雞肉放在烤箱裡太久，結果肉變得又乾又韌。

同義詞
  • chewy

    requires active chewing but not necessarily hard; more neutral in tone

  • leathery

    very tough texture, like leather; negative

  • rubbery

    unpleasantly tough and elastic

反義詞
  • tender

    easily cut or chewed, especially of meat

  • soft

    yielding easily to pressure or cutting

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

❌This bag is made of tough leather.' (meaning durable material)
✅The beef is tough because it was cooked at too high a temperature.
💡Use sense 1 for durable objects; use this sense only for food texture.

6. describes a person, place, or situation that involves aggression, crime, or a ro

6.形容詞B2
釋義

粗暴

可能涉及犯罪或攻擊行為的

describes a person, place, or situation that involves aggression, crime, or a rough, unkind atmosphere where violence is likely.

例句

The neighbourhood turned tough after the factory closed and many people lost their jobs.

那家工廠關閉後很多人失業，社區也變得龍蛇混雜。

collocation: tough neighbourhood / tough area

A group of tough-looking teenagers stood outside the station, watching every passer-by.

幾個看起來很兇的青少年站在車站外面，盯著每個路過的人。

collocation: tough-looking

同義詞
  • rough

    focuses on lack of refinement and potential for danger

  • violent

    more direct; emphasises actual physical aggression

  • dangerous

    focuses on the risk of harm rather than a person's character

反義詞
  • gentle

    kind and calm, not violent

  • peaceful

    quiet and safe, without crime or aggression

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

❌She is tough enough to survive the divorce.' (meaning resilient)
✅The school has a tough reputation
💡there are fights in the hall almost every day.' — This sense describes an environment or person associated with violence, not inner emotional strength.

7. describes a situation that is bad, unfair, or hard to accept, often with a sugge

7.形容詞B2
釋義

倒楣

運氣不好、難以接受的處境

describes a situation that is bad, unfair, or hard to accept, often with a suggestion that the person affected did not deserve it.

例句

It's tough that Rachid's flight was cancelled and he missed the whole conference.

Rachid 的班機被取消了，他因此錯過了整場會議，真倒楣。

pattern: it's tough that [clause]

Anjali had a tough break — her car broke down on the way to the interview.

Anjali 在去面試的路上車子拋錨了，真是背運。

collocation: tough break

同義詞
  • unfortunate

    more formal and neutral; no sympathy implied

  • hard

    less specific; can describe emotional difficulty too

  • bad

    very general; less emotive

反義詞
  • lucky

    fortunate; having good things happen by chance

  • fortunate

    favoured by luck; in a good situation

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

❌Tough! You should have studied harder.' (meaning no sympathy — sense 8)
✅That's tough, mate
💡I heard your dog passed away.' — This sense expresses sympathy for bad luck; sense 8 is dismissive.

8. a brief, cold thing to say when you believe someone caused their own trouble and

8.形容詞C1
釋義

活該

對他人的困境表示不同情

a brief, cold thing to say when you believe someone caused their own trouble and see no reason to care.

例句

When Benjamin complained about the long walk, his sister just shrugged and said, "Tough!"

Benjamin 抱怨要走很遠的路時，他妹妹只聳聳肩說：「活該！」

collocation: 'Tough!' as a single-word response

Aylin's friends said "tough luck" when she realised she forgot her raincoat in the storm.

Aylin 發現自己在暴風雨中忘了帶雨衣時，朋友們只對她說「你自己倒楣啦」。

collocation: tough luck (dismissive use)

同義詞
  • too bad

    can be used sympathetically or sarcastically; less harsh than 'tough'

  • so sad

    sarcastic; deliberately mocks the person's complaint

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

❌That's tough, I'm sorry to hear that.' (sympathetic — sense 7)
✅You forgot to set your alarm? Tough.
💡This is a cold, dismissive use; do not add sympathetic words like 'sorry'.
❌Tough luck, better luck next time.' (mixed signal)
✅Tough luck, man. Should've been on time.
💡Keep the tone clear and unsympathetic.

tough — 名詞

tough — 副詞

tough — 動詞