Synonyms of tough

tough 1 of 2

adjective

ˈtəf 

1

as in difficult

requiring considerable physical or mental effort

even if you study for it, it's still a tough exam

Synonyms & Similar Words

• difficult
• challenging
• hard
• rigorous
• formidable
• demanding
• rough
• complicated
• heavy
• rugged
• arduous
• strenuous
• tall
• severe
• effortful
• sweaty
• grueling
• painful
• exhausting
• uphill
• testing
• laborious
• killer
• stiff
• backbreaking
• herculean
• exacting
• murderous
• intricate
• complex
• serious
• problematic
• toilsome
• tricky
• annoying
• hellacious
• stubborn
• elusive
• brutal
• stressful
• pick-and-shovel
• grim
• troublesome
• thorny
• tight
• involved
• bruising
• trying
• oppressive
• onerous
• abstract
• hairy
• insoluble
• moiling
• burdensome
• opaque
• Augean
• strict
• abstruse
• knotty
• irksome
• ticklish
• spiny
• stringent
• bothersome
• cruel
• recondite
• labored
• vexatious
• taxing
• distressing
• inhuman
• grievous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• simple
• soft
• light
• cheap
• clear
• effortless
• undemanding
• manageable
• facile
• mindless
• doable
• elementary
• uncomplicated
• achievable
• smooth
• gentle
• comforting
• relaxed
• soothing
• painless
• friendly
• accessible
• user-friendly
• idiotproof

2

as in sturdy

able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure

this is a tough plant that easily withstands harsh winters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sturdy
• hardy
• strong
• rugged
• stout
• vigorous
• hardened
• hard
• durable
• healthy
• toughened
• robust
• hard-bitten
• cast-iron
• resilient
• permanent
• staunch
• tenacious
• thriving
• inured
• stable
• lasting
• enduring
• leathery
• staying
• stalwart
• flinty
• unyielding
• muscular
• immortal
• everlasting
• flourishing
• imperishable
• brawny
• fortified
• fit
• prospering
• tempered
• virile
• sound
• able-bodied
• seasoned
• husky
• lusty
• hale
• strapping
• annealed
• red-blooded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• weak
• soft
• delicate
• tender
• weakened
• worn
• wasted
• fragile
• exhausted
• sensitive
• enfeebled
• emasculated
• vulnerable
• diseased
• unsound
• debilitated
• incapacitated
• infirm
• crippled
• susceptible
• frail
• puny
• nonhardy
• temporary
• sapped
• enervated
• transient
• worn-out
• run-down
• mortal
• perishable
• yielding
• resistless
• unresistant

3

as in harsh

difficult to endure

tough weather conditions on the top of the mountain all year long

Synonyms & Similar Words

• harsh
• hard
• rough
• brutal
• oppressive
• searing
• severe
• trying
• cruel
• grim
• rugged
• heavy
• painful
• onerous
• burdensome
• bleak
• bitter
• excruciating
• inhuman
• murderous
• stiff
• grievous
• uncomfortable
• hardhanded
• strict
• unpleasant
• rigorous
• unbearable
• bad
• inhospitable
• stringent
• overwhelming
• forbidding
• austere
• spartan
• inclement
• discomforting
• agonizing
• crushing
• biting
• wild
• comfortless
• heartbreaking
• intemperate
• tortuous
• hostile
• intolerable
• harrowing
• insufferable
• grinding
• disagreeable
• wretched
• unendurable
• unfriendly
• wearing
• heartrending
• insupportable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• soft
• light
• comfortable
• pleasant
• friendly
• luxurious
• cozy
• agreeable
• hospitable
• peaceful
• genial
• relaxing
• restful
• moderate
• mild
• tolerable
• gentle
• calm
• snug
• bearable
• painless
• temperate
• endurable
• balmy
• reposeful
• clement

4

as in chewy

not easily chewed

her steak was so tough that she suggested the waiter use it as a hockey puck

Synonyms & Similar Words

• chewy
• leathery
• hard
• stringy
• fibrous
• sinewy
• crunchy
• gristly
• brittle
• cardboardy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tender
• soft
• mushy

5

as in sensitive

requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling

handled a tough situation with the aplomb and tact of a true diplomat

Synonyms & Similar Words

• difficult
• sensitive
• problematic
• complicated
• hard
• tricky
• sticky
• delicate
• thorny
• nasty
• serious
• problem
• complex
• painful
• touchy
• hairy
• knotty
• ticklish
• tricksy
• spiny
• catchy
• prickly
• dodgy
• troublesome
• intricate
• stubborn
• involved
• abstract
• vexing
• abstruse
• stressful
• worrisome
• recondite
• vexatious
• demanding
• troublous
• onerous
• inconvenient
• exhausting
• oppressive
• burdensome
• scabrous
• exacting
• importunate
• discommoding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• simple
• manageable
• straightforward
• uncomplicated
• painless
• effortless
• unproblematic
• undemanding

6

as in strict

given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint

a tough supervisor who docked the pay of anyone who punched in late, no matter what the reason

Synonyms & Similar Words

• harsh
• strict
• hard
• rigorous
• authoritarian
• rigid
• stern
• severe
• relentless
• hardened
• merciless
• gruff
• austere
• steadfast
• demanding
• flinty
• ramrod
• heavy-handed
• adamant
• stiff
• determined
• bullying
• unforgiving
• uncompromising
• exacting
• pitiless
• callous
• unrelenting
• implacable
• inflexible
• hard-line
• unyielding
• unbending
• immovable
• unsparing
• uncharitable
• ascetic
• dour
• adamantine
• unflinching
• resolved
• dogged
• monastic
• hard-hearted
• ossified
• intractable
• obstinate
• firm
• monkish
• rock-ribbed
• single-minded
• browbeating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• gentle
• lenient
• lax
• tolerant
• indulgent
• soft
• mild
• easygoing
• kind
• forbearing
• patient
• undemanding
• charitable
• merciful
• willing
• accepting
• clement
• responsive
• flexible
• laid-back
• yielding
• softhearted
• agreeable
• amenable
• pliable
• compliant
• compromising
• pliant
• complaisant
• acquiescent

tough

2 of 2

noun

as in bully

a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang

didn't want her son hanging out with the neighborhood toughs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bully
• criminal
• villain
• gangster
• bandit
• rowdy
• assassin
• toughie
• pirate
• thug
• thief
• offender
• hood
• gorilla
• roughneck
• ruffian
• hoodlum
• mobster
• gangsta
• hooligan
• punk
• goon
• gangbanger
• cutthroat
• plug-ugly
• yob
• yobbo
• perpetrator
• outlaw
• scoundrel
• mug
• robber
• felon
• desperado
• crook
• mafioso
• perp
• vandal
• bravo
• lawbreaker
• brigand
• highwayman
• gunman
• racketeer
• pickpocket
• swindler
• juvenile delinquent
• malefactor
• tearaway

Synonym Chooser

How is the word tough different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of tough are stalwart, stout, strong, sturdy, and tenacious. While all these words mean "showing power to resist or to endure," tough implies great firmness and resiliency.

a tough political opponent

When can stalwart be used instead of tough?

The words stalwart and tough can be used in similar contexts, but stalwart suggests an unshakable dependability.

stalwart environmentalists

Where would stout be a reasonable alternative to tough?

The words stout and tough are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stout suggests an ability to endure stress, pain, or hard use without giving way.

stout hiking boots

When could strong be used to replace tough?

The meanings of strong and tough largely overlap; however, strong may imply power derived from muscular vigor, large size, structural soundness, intellectual or spiritual resources.

strong arms

the defense has a strong case

When would sturdy be a good substitute for tough?

Although the words sturdy and tough have much in common, sturdy implies strength derived from vigorous growth, determination of spirit, solidity of construction.

a sturdy table

people of sturdy independence

When is tenacious a more appropriate choice than tough?

While in some cases nearly identical to tough, tenacious suggests strength in seizing, retaining, clinging to, or holding together.

tenacious farmers clinging to an age-old way of life

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tough

Adjective

Campaign events feature law enforcement unions and tough talk about law and order. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Industry reviews have been reasonably receptive so far, but paying customers are proving tougher. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026

Noun

The gangland drama is deeper and darker than the domestic one, strengthened by the unexpected portrayal of the Russian toughs as bumbling in their own way. — Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026

Cazale played the title character, an older man who becomes lost in Manhattan and is harassed by two young toughs, one of whom was portrayed by Pacino. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026

Phrases Containing tough

• tough it out