ˈbɹəʊkən tʌf sturdy and strong in constitution or construction; enduring with a house full of boys you have to have rugged furniture 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 topographically very uneven broken terrain rugged ground having long narrow shallow depressions (as grooves or wrinkles) in the surface furrowed fields his furrowed face lit by a warming smile