Tough example sentences
Related (15): difficult, hard, challenging, resilient, strong, strict, rigid, durable, demanding, severe, harsh, rugged, sturdy, adversity, hardship
"Tough" Example Sentences
Common Phrases
- tough luck
- tough love
- tough it out
- tough as nails
- tough call
- tough times
- tough break
- tough crowd
- tough spot
- when the going gets tough
- tough on someone
- tough enough
Examples by Level
A1
- This is tough work.
- The tough man didn't cry.
A2
- It was tough for her to leave her family behind.
- The teacher was tough but fair with all the students.
B1
- Times have been tough lately, but we're managing okay.
- He's got a tough exterior, but he's actually really kind underneath.
B2
- The decision was tough because both options had serious consequences.
- She'd learned to be tough through years of facing rejection and disappointment.
C1
- What makes a person tough isn't their ability to endure pain, but their willingness to keep moving forward despite it.
- The market conditions proved tough for even the most established companies, forcing them to reconsider their entire strategy.
C2
- There's a particular kind of toughness that comes not from hardness, but from the quiet acceptance that some things simply cannot be changed.
- She understood that being tough meant knowing when to hold firm and when to bend — a distinction most people never quite master.
Examples by Scenario
🏠 Everyday Life
- My neighbor's dog is tough and won't back down from anything, even other dogs twice his size.
- The weather's been tough this week — rain every single day.
💼 Workplace
- Our manager is tough on deadlines, but everyone respects her for being consistent.
- The new project is going to be tough, and we're going to need everyone's best effort.
📊 Business
- The market conditions have been tough for retailers, especially in the downtown area.
- Our competitors are tough, but we've got a better product and we know it.
🛒 Buying / Shopping
- This fabric is supposed to be tough and stain-resistant, which is exactly what I need.
- The prices are tough to swallow, but the quality is worth it.
✈️ Travel
- Traveling with kids is tough, but we're determined to show them the world anyway.
- The altitude made the hike tougher than I expected, and I had to turn back.
📚 Education
- The professor is tough grader, but students say they actually learn more in her class.
- High school was tough for him, but he's thriving in college now.
❤️ Relationships
- We had a tough conversation last night about where we're headed, and it needed to happen.
- Breaking up was the toughest thing I've ever done, even though it was the right call.
📰 News / Politics
- The government's tough stance on immigration has divided the country.
- Economic conditions have been tough on working families across the region.
💻 Technology
- The new encryption is supposed to be tough to crack, even for experienced hackers.
- Tough security measures mean the app takes longer to load, but it's worth the trade-off.
📝 Formal Writing
- The study found that tough parenting styles did not necessarily produce better outcomes in academic achievement.
- Regulations governing workplace safety have become increasingly tough over the past decade.