ˈbʊli ɪˈluːsɪv hɑːd hɑɹd ˈhuːdləm ˈnɒti ˌpɹɒbləˈmætɪk ˌpɹɑbləˈmætɪk ˈɹaʊdi ˈɹʌfi.ən ˈstɜːdi ˈstɜrdi θʌɡ tʌf tʌf ˈtʌfi jɒb ˈjɒbəʊ 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 substantially made or constructed sturdy steel shelves sturdy canvas a tough all-weather fabric some plastics are as tough as metal making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe a baffling problem I faced the knotty problem of what to have for breakfast a problematic situation at home 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 unfortunate or hard to bear had hard luck a tough break resistant to cutting or chewing physically toughened the tough bottoms of his feet not given to gentleness or sentimentality a tough character violent and lawless the more ruffianly element tough street gangs a cruel and brutal fellow an aggressive and violent young criminal someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing