Old English toh "strong and firm in texture, tenacious, sticky," from Proto-Germanic *tanhu- (cognates: Middle Low German tege, Middle Dutch taey, Dutch taai, Old High German zach, German zäh), which Watkins suggests is from PIE *denk- "to bite," from the notion of "holding fast." See rough for spelling change.
From c. 1200 as "strong, powerful;" c. 1300 as "not tender or fragile;" early 14c. as "difficult to chew," also "hard to endure." Figurative sense of "steadfast" is mid-14c.; that of "hard to do, trying, laborious" is from 1610s. Verb tough it "endure the experience" is first recorded 1830, American English. Tough guy attested from 1901. Tough-minded first recorded 1907 in William James. Tough luck first recorded 1912; tough shit, dismissive retort to a complaint, is from 1946.
tough (n.)
"street ruffian," 1866, American English, from tough (adj.).
双语例句
1. We'll face a tough fight in the upcoming election.
在即将到来的选举中，我们将面临一场恶斗。
来自柯林斯例句
2. The steak was tough and the peas were like bullets.
牛排老得嚼不动，豌豆像子弹一样硬。
来自柯林斯例句
3. They believe that a tough, materially poor childhood is character-building.
他们认为一个艰难贫困的童年有助于性格的培养。
来自柯林斯例句
4. I think it was very brave of him to tough it out.
我认为他坚持到底非常勇敢。
来自柯林斯例句
5. She is tough, unwilling to take no for an answer.