tōh

strong, firm, tenacious

1 / 1

A young woman struggles to push a heavily loaded wheelbarrow up a short, steep garden slope, making a difficult task immediately visible.

adjective / noun / interjection

tough

TUF/tʌf/

Difficult to break down or overcome.

Etymology

toughOld Englishstrong, firm, tenacious

Originally describing material that held firm and resisted separation, the word extended to things hard to endure. That resistance underlies the modern sense of a task or situation requiring sustained effort.

Full entry

Related word entries

tough