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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Tougher

Tough \Tough\, a. [Compar. Tougher; superl. Toughest.] [OE. tough, AS. t[=o]h, akin to D. taai, LG. taa, tage, tau, OHG. z[=a]hi, G. z[aum]he, and also to AS. getenge near to, close to, oppressive, OS. bitengi.]

  1. Having the quality of flexibility without brittleness; yielding to force without breaking; capable of resisting great strain; as, the ligaments of animals are remarkably tough. ``Tough roots and stubs. ''
    --Milton.

  2. Not easily broken; able to endure hardship; firm; strong; -- of objects and people; as, tough sinews.
    --Cowper.

    A body made of brass, the crone demands, . . . Tough to the last, and with no toil to tire.
    --Dryden.

    The basis of his character was caution combined with tough tenacity of purpose.
    --J. A. Symonds.

  3. Not easily separated; viscous; clammy; tenacious; as, tough phlegm.

  4. Stiff; rigid; not flexible; stubborn; as, a tough bow.

    So tough a frame she could not bend.
    --Dryden.

  5. Severe; violent; as, a tough storm. [Colloq.] `` A tough debate. ''
    --Fuller.

  6. Difficult to do, perform, or accomplish; as, a tough job.

  7. Prone to aggressive or violent behavior; rowdyish; -- of people, or groups; as, a tough neighborhood; a tough character.

    To make it tough, to make it a matter of difficulty; to make it a hard matter. [Obs.]
    --Chaucer.

Wiktionary
tougher

a. (en-comparative of: tough)

Usage examples of "tougher".

Now the tree could not consume her until it dealt with him--and he was turning out to be tougher than it had anticipated.

The least formidable among them looked somehow tougher than the robber he had just beaten.

Not nearly as hot, he thought, as that required to make the darker, tougher metal flow.

I knew that the demonic forms of the Denarians were tougher than either me or Anna Valmont.

The proposed secondary sanctions for Iraq would be far tougher, applied automatically, and without possibility of a waiver.

Only when all other options have been clearly exhausted and when Saddam has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is tougher than anyone else, will he risk making concessions.

All of the available evidence indicates that we would have a much tougher time making this approach to regime change work in Iraq than we did in Afghanistan.

It may not be as bad as the wooded mountains of Kosovo, but an air campaign against Iraqi forces in Mesopotamia and central Iraq would have a much tougher time than in 1991.

He tended to lose control and flirt relentlessly with blondes in small-town cocktail lounges - women light-years tougher than the most steely-eyed sleek Manhattanite or Los Angelina.

He was stronger, faster, tougher, more resilient, more potent than anything you can imagine.

He felt as if he could run for leagues now without tiring, and he was sure he was much tougher and healthier.

The other girl was not quite as tall, but she looked a lot tougher than Brenda.

There was more pressure, greater demands, tougher responsibilities, and far greater exposure.

Dadeach one is a little tougher, the stakes a little higher, the odds a little worse.

The old bastard was tougher than I thoughthe broke my arm with that morningstar he carried for a scepter.