tougher
tougher — 形容詞
- tougherpositive
- tougherercomparative
- tougherestsuperlative
1. able to withstand force, wear, or rough treatment without breaking, tearing, or
堅固的
不易斷裂或受損
able to withstand force, wear, or rough treatment without breaking, tearing, or becoming damaged
Anjali's tough leather boots lasted through three winters of heavy snow.
Anjali 那雙堅固的皮靴穿了三個大雪紛飛的冬天。
collocation: tough leather / tough boots
The tent fabric was tough enough to survive the hailstorm without a single tear.
帳篷布料夠堅固，挨過冰雹風暴而毫無破損。
Bao needed a tough pair of gloves for handling the thorny rose bushes.
Bao 需要一雙堅固的手套來處理那些帶刺的玫瑰叢。
The suitcase is made from a tough plastic that resists scratches and drops.
這個行李箱是用一種耐刮又耐摔的堅固塑膠製成的。
We bought a tough garden hose that won't split when the water pressure rises.
我們買了一條堅固的花園水管，水壓升高時也不會裂開。
用法筆記
Used for materials and objects, not for people. For a person who endures hardship, see sense 2.
2. able to handle pain, difficulty, or pressure without giving up or falling apart
堅強的
能承受困難而不退縮
able to handle pain, difficulty, or pressure without giving up or falling apart emotionally
Baraka stayed calm during the crisis because he is one of the toughest people I know.
Baraka 在危機中保持鎮定，因為他是我認識最堅強的人之一。
one of the toughest + noun
Nurses in the emergency room have to be tough to cope with the stress every shift.
急診室的護理師必須很堅強，才能應付每天輪班的壓力。
Eitan grew up in a war zone, which made him tougher than most of his classmates.
Eitan 在戰區長大，這讓他比大多數同學更加堅強。
Madison didn't cry after losing the final — she is remarkably tough for a young athlete.
Madison 輸掉決賽後沒有哭——以一個年輕運動員來說，她非常堅強。
You need to be tough if you want to work in search and rescue during disasters.
如果你想在災難搜救領域工作，就必須夠堅強。
用法筆記
Often used approvingly to describe someone who handles pressure with strength. Contrast with sense 6 (VIOLENT OR ROUGH), where 'tough' describes aggressive behaviour rather than inner resilience.
常見錯誤
3. demanding obedience and imposing harsh penalties on those who break the rules
嚴厲的
嚴格限制且懲罰嚴厲
demanding obedience and imposing harsh penalties on those who break the rules
The new principal introduced tough rules about mobile phones in the classroom.
新校長針對教室裡的手機使用，制定了嚴厲的規定。
collocation: tough rules
Wren believes the government needs tougher penalties for companies that pollute rivers.
Wren 認為政府需要對污染河流的企業處以更嚴厲的罰則。
Judge Nakamura handed down a tough sentence of fifteen years for the fraud case.
Nakamura 法官對那起詐騙案判了十五年嚴厲的刑期。
Gita's parents were tough on her about finishing homework before any screen time.
Gita 的父母對她很嚴厲，要求她必須先寫完功課才能看螢幕。
The city passed tough anti-smoking laws that ban lighting up even in outdoor cafés.
市議會通過了嚴厲的禁菸法，連戶外咖啡座都禁止點菸。
用法筆記
Subject is usually an authority figure, institution, or rule. Contrast with sense 2 (RESILIENT PERSON), where 'tough' describes personal endurance rather than imposing limits on others.
4. presenting a problem or situation that needs great effort, patience, or courage
艱難的
需要很大努力才能應付
presenting a problem or situation that needs great effort, patience, or courage to get through
The driving test was tougher than Nellie expected, with narrow streets and sudden stops.
路考比 Nellie 預期的更艱難，有狹窄的街道和突如其來的停車指令。
Erik faced a tough choice between accepting a job abroad or staying near his ageing parents.
Erik 面臨一個艱難的抉擇：接受海外工作，還是留在年邁的父母身邊。
collocation: tough choice
The first year of medical school is incredibly tough, with exams almost every week.
醫學院的第一年極其艱難，幾乎每週都有考試。
Anong had a tough time learning to walk again after the surgery on both knees.
Anong 在雙膝手術後重新學走路，度過了一段艱難的時期。
We had to answer some tough questions from the investors about why sales were dropping.
投資人問了我們一些艱難的問題，追問為什麼銷售額一直下滑。
- challenging
more neutral and slightly more formal; often used positively about tasks that test your abilities
- hard
the most common everyday alternative, interchangeable with 'tough' in most contexts
- demanding
emphasises that something requires a lot of time, energy, or attention
- easy
requiring little effort or presenting no serious problems
- straightforward
simple and clear, without complications or hidden difficulties
用法筆記
Applies to situations, decisions, periods of time, and problems — not to physical objects (sense 1) or food (sense 5).
5. requiring a lot of chewing because the food is fibrous, undercooked, or has been
韌的；硬的
食物難切或難咀嚼
requiring a lot of chewing because the food is fibrous, undercooked, or has been cooked too long
The steak was so tough that Vinícius had to saw at it with a knife for a full minute.
那塊牛排韌到 Vinícius 得用牛排刀鋸上整整一分鐘。
collocation: tough steak / tough meat
Baraka complained that the chicken breast was dry and tough after sitting under the heat lamp.
Baraka 抱怨雞胸肉在保溫燈下放太久，又乾又韌。
Overcooking squid turns it from tender to tough in less than thirty seconds.
魷魚煮過頭不到三十秒，就會從軟嫩變成堅韌。
Grandma's tough bread rolls tasted fine once we dipped them into the hot soup.
奶奶做的麵包捲雖然很硬，但沾了熱湯之後還不錯吃。
Madison threw away the tough asparagus stalks and only used the tender tips.
Madison 把硬的蘆筍莖丟掉，只用了嫩尖的部分。
用法筆記
Only used for food. When describing non-food materials that are hard to cut (e.g. wood, thick rope), use sense 1 (STRONG AND DURABLE) instead.
常見錯誤
6. aggressive and threatening, with a readiness to use physical force or intimidati
兇悍的
可能使用暴力的
aggressive and threatening, with a readiness to use physical force or intimidation
Eitan grew up on a tough housing estate where fights broke out nearly every weekend.
Eitan 在一個兇悍的住宅區長大，幾乎每個週末都有人打架。
collocation: tough neighbourhood / tough area
The bar had a reputation for attracting a tough crowd of bikers and ex-convicts.
那家酒吧以吸引一群兇悍的重機騎士和前科犯聞名。
Bao avoided the tough kids at school who picked on smaller children for lunch money.
Bao 避開學校裡那些兇悍的學生，他們會欺負個子小的孩子勒索午餐錢。
The police warned tourists to stay away from the tougher parts of the city at night.
警方警告遊客晚上不要靠近市區較兇悍的區域。
Nellie's older brother acted tough in front of his friends but was gentle at home.
Nellie 的哥哥在朋友面前裝得兇悍，但在家裡卻很溫柔。
- rough
emphasises a lack of gentleness or polish; can describe both people and places
- aggressive
more direct about the readiness to attack or confront
- menacing
suggests a threatening quality that makes others feel unsafe without always involving actual violence
用法筆記
Describes people, groups, or places where there is a real risk of violence. Distinguish from sense 2 (RESILIENT PERSON), where 'tough' means strong in character rather than physically aggressive.
7. used to describe a situation that is unfair, unlucky, or hard to accept
倒楣的
運氣不好或情況不公平
used to describe a situation that is unfair, unlucky, or hard to accept
It was tough on Anjali when her flight was cancelled and she missed her sister's wedding.
Anjali 的航班被取消，錯過了妹妹的婚禮，對她來說真的很倒楣。
collocation: tough on + person
Losing the championship by a single point in the final second was really tough for the team.
在最後一秒以一分之差輸掉冠軍賽，對全隊來說真的很倒楣。
Gita had a tough break when her laptop crashed the night before the thesis was due.
Gita 真的很倒楣，論文截止前一晚筆電竟然當機了。
Erik said it was tough luck that the storm hit on the one day they planned the picnic.
Erik 說他們偏偏選了野餐那天遇到暴風雨，真是太倒楣了。
The factory closure was tough on the whole town, leaving hundreds without work overnight.
工廠關閉讓整個小鎮都很倒楣，一夜之間數百人失業。
- unlucky
the most direct everyday synonym, but less informal in tone
- unfortunate
more formal; used in writing and polite speech
- harsh
emphasises the severity of the situation's impact rather than the randomness of the bad luck
- lucky
having good fortune or a favourable outcome
用法筆記
Informal register. Most common in the fixed expressions 'tough luck' and 'tough break'. The structure 'tough on + person' is shared with sense 3 (STRICT AND SEVERE), but here the meaning is about bad fortune rather than punishment.
8. an expression telling someone you do not feel sorry for them and that they must
活該
表示不同情對方遭遇
an expression telling someone you do not feel sorry for them and that they must deal with their problem alone
Wren told her brother, 'Tough! You spent your allowance on games, so no cinema money.'
Wren 對她弟弟說：「活該！你把零用錢都花在遊戲上了，沒錢看電影。」
used as a standalone interjection: 'Tough!'
When Mert complained about the late shift, his boss just shrugged and said, 'That's tough.'
Mert 抱怨排到夜班時，老闆只是聳聳肩說：「那你活該。」
The customer demanded a refund for food she had eaten entirely — the waiter replied, 'Tough.'
那位顧客把食物全吃光了還要求退款——服務生回答：「活該。」
Anong's coach said 'Tough — you missed practice, now you run two extra laps.'
Anong 的教練說：「活該——你沒來練習，現在多跑兩圈。」
'It's tough,' the landlord said when Vinícius asked for a lower rent for the damp flat.
Vinícius 要求房東降低那間潮濕公寓的房租時，房東說：「那你活該。」
用法筆記
Almost always used as a standalone interjection ('Tough!' or 'That's tough!'), never as a descriptive adjective modifying a noun. This is the only sense where 'tough' functions as a complete utterance rather than part of a sentence.
常見錯誤
tougher — 名詞
- toughersingular
- toughersplural
1. a person who uses physical force or threats, especially someone involved in stre
暴徒
使用暴力的粗野之人
a person who uses physical force or threats, especially someone involved in street crime or fighting
The alley was guarded by two toughs who demanded money from anyone passing through.
那條巷子被兩個暴徒把守著，向每個路過的人勒索錢財。
often used with 'young' or 'street' as modifier
Baraka's grandfather told stories about the neighbourhood toughs who ruled the docks in the 1950s.
Baraka 的祖父講述了一九五○年代橫行碼頭的鄰里暴徒的故事。
The film cast Madison as a street tough who eventually turns her life around.
電影找 Madison 飾演一名街頭暴徒，後來她改過自新。
A gang of young toughs smashed the windows of the empty shop on River Road last night.
昨晚一群年輕暴徒砸毀了 River Road 那間空店的窗戶。
Eitan was hired as a bouncer because his size scared off the local toughs at the door.
Eitan 被聘為夜店保鏢，因為他的體型足以嚇跑門口的當地暴徒。
用法筆記
Often used in the plural ('toughs') to describe a group. 'Street tough' and 'young tough' are the most common collocations.
tougher — 副詞
1. in a manner that shows strength, firmness, or a lack of gentleness
強硬地
展現堅定或強硬的態度
in a manner that shows strength, firmness, or a lack of gentleness
The manager spoke tough to the workers who kept arriving late without a valid reason.
經理對那些一再無故遲到的工人說話態度強硬。
used with action verbs: speak tough, play tough, act tough
Bao played tough in the second half, blocking three shots despite a bruised shoulder.
Bao 在下半場打得很強硬，儘管肩膀瘀青仍擋下三球。
The judge came down tough on the repeat offender, handing out the maximum sentence.
法官對那名慣犯判得很強硬，處以最高刑期。
Wren's mother acted tough during the medical consultation, but her hands were trembling.
Wren 的媽媽在看診時表現強硬，但雙手卻在發抖。
Nellie talked tough before the debate, but her arguments fell apart on stage.
Nellie 在辯論前說得很強硬，但上了台論點卻站不住腳。
- gently
in a soft, kind, or careful way
用法筆記
Typically follows a verb of action or communication. 'Talk tough' and 'act tough' are the most frequent patterns. Rare in formal writing.
tougher — 動詞
- tougherpresent simple I / you / we / they
- toughers3rd person singular
- toughering-ing form
- tougheredpast simple
1. to experience something painful or difficult without giving in or complaining
硬撐
咬牙忍受而不退縮
to experience something painful or difficult without giving in or complaining
Gita had to tough it out through the last three miles of the marathon with a twisted ankle.
Gita 腳踝扭傷了，還是硬撐著跑完馬拉松最後三英里。
pattern: tough it out
The refugees toughed out the winter in a camp with no heating and thin blankets.
難民們在沒有暖氣、只有薄毯子的營地裡硬撐過了整個冬天。
Erik decided to tough it through the boring lecture rather than sneak out early.
Erik 決定硬撐著聽完那場無聊的演講，而不是偷偷溜走。
Vinícius toughed out the nine-hour flight in economy class despite his long legs.
Vinícius 在經濟艙硬撐過了九小時的飛行，儘管他的腿很長。
Anjali told her teammates to tough it out — the storm would pass before the final whistle.
Anjali 告訴隊友硬撐下去——暴風雨會在終場哨聲前過去的。
- endure
formal; does not carry the informal, gritty tone of 'tough it out'
- grin and bear it
idiom; emphasises accepting something unpleasant with good humour
- stick it out
phrasal verb; emphasises staying until the end rather than enduring pain
文法句型
tough + it + out
tough + out + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'out' in the pattern 'tough it out' or 'tough out + noun'. 'Tough it through' is a less common variant. The verb is rarely used without a particle in modern English.