tough
• adjective 1 strong enough to withstand wear and tear. 2 able to endure hardship, adversity, or pain. 3 strict and uncompromising. 4 involving considerable difficulty or hardship. 5 rough or violent. 6 used to express a lack of sympathy. • noun informal a rough and violent man. — PHRASES tough it out informal endure a period of hardship or difficulty. — DERIVATIVES toughly adverb toughness noun. — ORIGIN Old English.
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