1
2
as in sturdy
able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure
this is a tough plant that easily withstands harsh winters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in harsh
difficult to endure
tough weather conditions on the top of the mountain all year long
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
even if you study for it, it's still a tough exam
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in sensitive
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
handled a tough situation with the aplomb and tact of a true diplomat
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in strict
given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint
a tough supervisor who docked the pay of anyone who punched in late, no matter what the reason
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
didn't want her son hanging out with the neighborhood toughs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tough
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
Three tornado strikes in one lifetime is tough for Drope to wrap her head around.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025
Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2023
Shots of Phoenix running from street toughs in his clown outfit are intercut with his social worker breaking up with him.
—Dan Brooks, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2019
See All Example Sentences for tough
Adjective
Bridgers shared that raising two children under two with very little help was tough.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
Three tornado strikes in one lifetime is tough for Drope to wrap her head around.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
By the numbers Gary Klein’s prediction The NFC West rival Rams and the Seahawks always play each other tough.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2023
Shots of Phoenix running from street toughs in his clown outfit are intercut with his social worker breaking up with him.
—Dan Brooks, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2019
See All Example Sentences for tough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tough
Adjective
-
Osteoporosis is a medical condition that causes bones to become weakened and brittle.—
Erica Lamberg,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
-
If there is no sign of life after the third week of June passes and the stems feel dry and brittle, your plant is likely dead.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The Blue Jackets signed another college free agent on Wednesday, adding stout and sturdy defenseman Caleb MacDonald from the University of North Dakota on a two-year entry-level contract that begins next season.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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These insights shaped every detail of the grill—from the cook engine to the closed cabinet that discreetly hides the gas tank to the sturdy stainless-steel handle, a signature of Weber quality.—
Tim Clark,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Designed for hiking and other outdoor adventures, these water-resistant pants are made with UPF 50 protection from harsh sun rays along with several spacious, handy pockets.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Trump’s election confirmed, to some on the Left, that the country really was as bad as some of their harshest rhetoric suggested.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
There are very big match-ups being played week in and week out in what is one of the most difficult leagues to play in on the planet, this means the big contenders will drop points more often than in some other leagues.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Generations of design successors have insisted that pie charts are difficult to read and even amount to optical informatic illusions, but we are still stuck with them.—
Mara Mills,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The rise in interest rates and inflation could dampen the growth prospects of shale oil producers, particularly smaller companies that are highly sensitive to borrowing costs.—
Steven Dudash,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The skin is very sensitive to the hormonal changes taking place during puberty.—
Cordelia Nwankwo,
Verywell Health,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
How much does your business rely on trade partners that have strict sustainability expectations?—
Paul Klein,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
For instance, while Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert may try to adhere to a strict framing, Mulaney prefers a more meandering format between himself and announcer Richard Kind.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Jesse, understandably, has become more defensive about antisemitism since he was brutally attacked by thugs who singled him out for being Jewish.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
-
The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Its thick, leathery skin gives way to greenish-yellow flesh speckled with tiny seeds.—
Katie Chang,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The earliest figures, naked and missing limbs, some suffering gouges or pocked with what look like the holes of beetle larvae, bring to mind eerie tales of automata or the leathery agonies of bog bodies.—
Peter Ross,
Smithsonian Magazine,
5 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Tough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tough. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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