English language

How to pronounce tough in English?

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Type Words
Synonyms baffling, elusive, knotty, problematic, problematical
Derivation toughness
Type Words
Synonyms rugged
Derivation toughness


the competition was tough.
it's a tough life.
it was a tough job.
Type Words
Synonyms street fighter
Type of scrapper, combatant, battler, fighter, belligerent
Type Words
Synonyms hard


a tough break.
Type Words
Synonyms ruffianly


tough street gangs.
Type Words
Synonyms toughened


the tough bottoms of his feet.
Type Words
Synonyms goon, hood, hoodlum, punk, strong-armer, thug, toughie
Type of malefactor, criminal, crook, felon, outlaw
Has types bully
Type Words
Synonyms bully, hooligan, roughneck, rowdy, ruffian, yob, yobbo, yobo
Type of assaulter, attacker, aggressor, assailant
Has types plug-ugly, tough guy, skinhead, bullyboy, skin, muscleman, muscle
Type Words
Synonyms sturdy


a tough all-weather fabric.
some plastics are as tough as metal.
Type Words
Synonyms bad


he was feeling tough after a restless night.
Type Words


a tough character.
Type Words
Derivation toughness

Examples of tough

tough
Bowman won a tough 10-7 decision over previously unbeaten Jake Vitale of Mexico.
From the stltoday.com
Leg muscles are wrapped into separate compartments with tough wrapping material.
From the stltoday.com
A win would be huge for either program as it looks to regroup from a tough 2010.
From the news-journalonline.com
Hard to be so open and authentic, but it is both tough-minded and kind to do so.
From the forbes.com
If she plays well for the Huskers Saturday, Coale said NU will be tough to stop.
From the omaha.com
Yet the 8-1 decision indicates that, in some ways, this was not so tough a call.
From the sacbee.com
Sortino said during tough times, consignment sales like Reruns have been strong.
From the omaha.com
The clarion call from challengers is that change is needed in these tough times.
From the dailyherald.com
While the offense struggled at times, it was a tough defense that paved the way.
From the bostonherald.com
More examples
  • Not given to gentleness or sentimentality; "a tough character"
  • Street fighter: someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing
  • Hood: an aggressive and violent young criminal
  • Rugged: 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"
  • Bully: a cruel and brutal fellow
  • Physically toughened; "the tough bottoms of his feet"
  • Sturdy: substantially made or constructed; "sturdy steel shelves"; "sturdy canvas"; "a tough all-weather fabric"; "some plastics are as tough as metal"
  • Ruffianly: violent and lawless; "the more ruffianly element"; "tough street gangs"
  • Bad: 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"