Adjective
1. not given to gentleness or sentimentality;
"a tough character"2. 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"3. physically toughened;
"the tough bottoms of his feet"4. substantially made or constructed;
"sturdy steel shelves""sturdy canvas""a tough all-weather fabric""some plastics are as tough as metal"5. violent and lawless;
"the more ruffianly element""tough street gangs"6. 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"7. tough to cut or chew
8. unfortunate or hard to bear;
"had hard luck""a tough break"