tough

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

adj. strong, firm; stiff, resilient; vigorous, robust, hardy; stubborn, intractable; violent, severe; unyielding, hardened, incorrigible; informal, vicious, rowdy, unruly, difficult, troublesome.

See severity, strength, difficulty, evildoer.

II

(Roget's IV) modif.

1. [Strong]

Syn. robust, wiry, mighty; see strong 1 , 2 .

2. [Cohesive]

Syn. solid, firm, sturdy, hard, hardened, adhesive, leathery, coherent, inseparable, molded, tight, cemented, unbreakable, in one piece, dense, closely packed.

Ant. weak*, fragile, brittle.

3. [Difficult to chew]

Syn. uncooked, half-cooked, gristly, sinewy, indigestible, inedible, fibrous, old, tough as shoe-leather*; see also raw 1 .

Ant. soft*, tender, overcooked.

4. [Difficult]

Syn. unyielding, hard, resisting, troublesome, onerous, intricate, puzzling, laborious; see also difficult 1 , severe 1 .

Ant. easy*, simple, obvious.

5. [Hardy]

Syn. robust, sound, capable; see healthy 1 .

6. [*Rough and cruel]

Syn. savage, fierce, desperate, ferocious, ruffianly, uproarious, terrible, rapacious, riotous, uncontrollable, unmanageable.

Ant. friendly*, genial, easygoing.

7. [*Unfavorable]

Syn. bad, unfortunate, untimely; see unfavorable 2 .

8. [*Excellent]

Syn. fine, first-class, premium; see excellent .

• tough it out,

Syn. persevere, persist, endure; see endure 1 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

*tough guy, bully, *roughneck, *punk, thug, hoodlum, ruffian, hooligan, *goon.

II

a.

1. strong pliable, *tough as shoe leather, unbreakable, *tough as nails, rugged, hardened, durable, enduring, sound, firm, vigorous, solid, conditioned, fit, hardy, brawny, strapping, muscular, Herculean, burly, robust.

2. chewy uncooked, stringy, leathery, gristly, *tough as shoe leather.

3. stubborn obstinate, unyielding, inflexible, *hard-nosed, headstrong, firm, adamant, unbending, resolute, strict, severe, rough, bullheaded.

4. hard demanding, difficult, troublesome, vigorous, laborious, toilsome, brutal, harsh, rough, trying, formidable, complicated, complex, violent.

ANT.: 1. weak, soft, fragile, breakable. 2. softened, tender, tenderized, cooked. 3. yielding, acquiescent, irresolute. 4. easy, undemanding, simple

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I adjective 1. Physically toughened so as to have great endurance: hard, hard-bitten, hard-handed, hardy, rugged. Idiom: hard as nails. See CONTINUE, STRONG. 2. Capable of exerting considerable effort or of withstanding considerable stress or hardship: hardy, stalwart, stout, strong, sturdy. See STRONG. 3. Requiring great or extreme bodily, mental, or spiritual strength: arduous, backbreaking, burdensome, demanding, difficult, effortful, exacting, exigent, formidable, hard, heavy, laborious, onerous, oppressive, rigorous, rough, severe, taxing, trying, weighty. See HEAVY. 4. Not easy to do, achieve, or master: arduous, difficult, hard, laborious, serious, tall, uphill. See EASY. 5. Marked by vigorous physical exertion: knockabout, rough, rough-and-tumble, rugged, strenuous. See ACTION. 6. Rigorous and unsparing in treating others: demanding, exacting, hard, harsh, rigid, severe, stern, strict, unyielding. See EASY. 7. Indicating or possessing determination, resolution, or persistence: constant, determined, firm1, resolute, steadfast, steady, stiff, unbending, uncompromising, unflinching, unwavering, unyielding. See PURPOSE. II noun 1. A rough, violent person who engages in destructive actions: hoodlum, mug, roughneck, rowdy, ruffian. Informal: toughie. Slang: hood, punk. See ATTACK, CRIMES. 2. A person who treats others violently and roughly, especially for hire: hoodlum, ruffian, thug. Informal: hooligan. Slang: goon, gorilla, hood. See ATTACK, CRIMES.