adj. & n.
adj. 1 hard to break, cut, tear, or chew; durable; strong. 2 (of a person) able to endure hardship; hardy. 3 unyielding, stubborn, difficult (it was a tough job; a tough customer). 4 colloq. a acting sternly; hard (get tough with). b (of circumstances, luck, etc.) severe, unpleasant, hard, unjust. 5 colloq. criminal or violent (tough guys).
n. a tough person, esp. a ruffian or criminal. tough guy colloq. 1 a hard unyielding person. 2 a violent aggressive person. tough it (or tough it out) colloq. endure or withstand difficult conditions. tough-minded realistic, not sentimental. tough-mindedness being tough-minded. toughen v.tr. & intr. toughener n. toughish adj. toughly adv. toughness n.
[ OE toh ]