adj.
1 difficult/unpleasant
VERBS
▪ be , seem
▪ get
▪ remain
▪ find sth
▪
He may find it ~ to pursue his plans.
▪ make sth
▪
The strong dollar has made it ~ for small businesses.
ADVERB
▪ extremely , fairly , very , etc.
▪ particularly , really
▪
Things were really ~ at first.
▪ a little , slightly , etc.
PREPOSITION
▪ on
▪
It's very ~ on the wives when the husbands leave.
2 strict/firm
VERBS
▪ be
▪ become , get
ADVERB
▪ extremely , fairly , very , etc.
▪ particularly
▪ enough
▪
Has the government been ~ enough on polluters?
PREPOSITION
▪ on
▪
The government has promised to get ~ on crime.
▪ with
▪
You have to be ~ with these young thugs.
3 strong
VERBS
▪ appear , be , feel , look , seem , stand ( informal )
▪ become , get , grow
▪ act , play , talk ( all informal )
▪
Then this guy started acting ~.
ADVERB
▪ extremely , fairly , very , etc.
▪ incredibly , really , remarkably
▪ enough
▪
Are you sure you're physically ~ enough for this job?
▪ mentally , physically
Tough is used with these nouns: ↑ assignment , ↑ battle , ↑ beef , ↑ business , ↑ call , ↑ catch , ↑ challenge , ↑ choice , ↑ climb , ↑ competition , ↑ competitor , ↑ control , ↑ critic , ↑ decision , ↑ exterior , ↑ fight , ↑ game , ↑ guy , ↑ hide , ↑ job , ↑ law , ↑ legislation , ↑ line , ↑ luck , ↑ measure , ↑ meat , ↑ negotiation , ↑ negotiator , ↑ neighbourhood , ↑ opponent , ↑ part , ↑ penalty , ↑ problem , ↑ proposition , ↑ question , ↑ questioning , ↑ race , ↑ regulation , ↑ restriction , ↑ rival , ↑ road , ↑ season , ↑ situation , ↑ skin , ↑ stance , ↑ stand , ↑ steak , ↑ stretch , ↑ talk , ↑ target , ↑ task , ↑ test , ↑ time , ↑ training , ↑ week , ↑ work , ↑ world , ↑ year