1. strong and durable; not easily broken or damaged
堅固的；耐用的；不易損壞的
These hiking boots are made of tough leather.
這些登山靴是用堅韌的皮革製成的。
The material is tough enough to withstand extreme weather.
這種材料非常堅固，足以承受極端天氣。
Tough Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
tough
adjective
快速理解
What does "Tough" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Tough"?
形容事物堅固、困難、嚴厲或人堅強不屈。
- 1
堅固耐用
EN: strong and durable, not easily broken.
翻譯: 形容物品堅固、耐用，不易損壞。
- 2
困難艱鉅
EN: difficult to do or deal with.
翻譯: 形容任務、情況或問題困難、棘手。
- 3
嚴厲強硬
EN: strict, firm, or severe.
翻譯: 形容態度、措施或規則嚴厲、強硬。
- 4
堅強不屈
EN: able to endure hardship; resilient.
翻譯: 形容人堅強、有韌性，能承受困難。
小提醒：注意 'tough' 與 'rough' 的區別：'tough' 強調堅固或困難，'rough' 則多指表面粗糙或情況粗略。
發音（How to Pronounce "Tough" in English）
How to pronounce "Tough" in English?"Tough" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Tough" from YouTube Videos
Startup Advisor Equity? - Pebble Watch Founder Eric Migicovsky
Y Combinator
“this is kind of one of the tough things about being a CEO and really is the one job that a CEO CEO has, which is, at the end of the day, the buck stops with you.”
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Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Tough"?How does "Tough" change by context?
2. difficult to do or deal with; requiring effort
困難的；棘手的；費力的
It was a tough decision to make.
這是一個艱難的決定。
The exam questions were really tough this year.
今年的考題非常難。
3. able to endure hardship or pain; strong-willed
堅強的；能吃苦的；意志堅定的
She's a tough competitor who never gives up.
她是一個從不放棄的堅強競爭者。
You have to be tough to survive in this industry.
你必須堅強才能在這個行業生存。
4. strict, firm, or severe
嚴格的；強硬的；嚴厲的
The new manager has a tough approach to discipline.
新經理在紀律方面採取強硬的做法。
The country has tough laws against pollution.
該國有嚴厲的反污染法律。
5. of meat: hard to cut or chew
（肉）硬的；咬不動的
The steak was so tough I could hardly eat it.
這塊牛排太硬了，我幾乎咬不動。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Tough"?How to make natural sentences with "Tough"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| tough + noun | 堅硬的；堅韌的 | This is a very tough piece of leather. (這是一塊非常堅韌的皮革。) |
| tough + on + someone/something | 對…嚴厲的；對…嚴苛的 | The new law is tough on polluters. (新法律對污染者很嚴厲。) |
| tough + to + verb | 難以…的 | The exam was tough to pass. (那次考試很難通過。) |
| find + something + tough + to + verb | 發現…很難… | I find this problem tough to solve. (我發現這個問題很難解決。) |
| a tough + noun (e.g., decision, choice) | 艱難的… | He had to make a tough decision. (他必須做出一個艱難的決定。) |
| get tough with + someone/something | 對…採取強硬態度 | The government is getting tough with tax evaders. (政府正對逃稅者採取強硬態度。) |
| (as) tough as nails | 非常堅強；鐵石心腸 | She survived the ordeal because she's as tough as nails. (她熬過了磨難，因為她非常堅強。) |
| have a tough time (+ V-ing) | 經歷一段艱難時期 | We had a tough time finding the house. (我們費了好大一番功夫才找到那棟房子。) |
用法說明
How is "Tough" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Tough"?
tough doing vs tough to do
- tough doing 通常用於描述一個持續的、習慣性的或一般性的困難狀態或活動。
- tough to do 則更常指某個具體的、一次性的任務或行動難以完成。
- 在許多情況下，兩者可以互換使用，但 tough to do 的使用頻率更高，尤其是在美式英語中。
- 當主詞是「人」時，通常使用 tough to do 的結構（It is tough for someone to do something）。 EN: It's tough finding a good job in this economy. 翻譯: 在這種經濟環境下，要找到一份好工作很困難。
EN:This math problem is tough to solve without a calculator.
翻譯:這道數學題不用計算機很難解出來。
總結建議
在描述一般性困難時兩者皆可，但指具體任務時，使用 tough to do 更為常見且安全。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Tough" and similar words?How to choose "Tough" vs alternatives?
tough vs hard
「tough」強調堅韌、不易損壞或能承受困難；「hard」則更側重於物理上的堅硬或任務的困難程度。
tough vs strong
「tough」側重於承受壓力、衝擊或艱難狀況的韌性；「strong」則強調力量、能力或強度本身。
tough vs rough
「tough」核心在於堅韌或困難；「rough」則描述表面粗糙、不精細或粗略的過程。
口語用法
How is "Tough" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Tough"?
引述
在轉述他人對某事的評價或描述時，常用 "tough" 來概括其核心看法。 EN: He said the exam was really tough, but he managed to pass. 翻譯: 他說考試真的很難，但他還是設法通過了。
EN:Everyone's calling it a tough situation, and I have to agree.
翻譯:大家都說這是個艱難的處境，我不得不表示同意。
語氣強調
單獨使用或重複 "tough"，用來表達一種不以為然、不接受抱怨或強調現實殘酷的強硬語氣。 EN: A: I don't think I can finish all this work. B: Tough. The deadline is tomorrow. 翻譯: A: 我覺得我沒辦法完成所有這些工作。 B: 沒辦法。期限就是明天。
EN:Life is tough, but you have to be tougher.
翻譯:生活是艱難的，但你必須更堅強。
停頓填充
在思考如何措辭或描述困難情況時，用作口語中的填充詞，常與 "you know", "I mean" 等連用。 EN: It was a... tough... you know, a tough decision to make. 翻譯: 那是一個…很難…你知道的，一個很難做的決定。
EN:The project is going to be, I mean, tough, but we'll get through it.
翻譯:這個專案將會，我的意思是，很棘手，但我們會度過的。
正式寫作注意：在學術或正式商業寫作中，應避免將 "tough" 用作 "difficult" 或 "challenging" 的隨意替代詞。建議使用更精確的詞彙，如 "arduous", "demanding", "formidable" 或 "challenging" 本身，以使論述更嚴謹。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Tough"?What fixed phrases with "Tough" should I remember?
tough cookie
noun phrase
堅強、不易被擊倒的人
tough luck
noun phrase / interjection
運氣不好；真倒霉（有時帶有不同情之意）
tough it out
phrasal verb
堅持到底，熬過困難
tough break
noun phrase
不幸的挫折；壞運氣
tough sledding
noun phrase
艱難的進展；困難的處境
a tough act to follow
noun phrase
難以企及的傑出表現（讓後來者壓力很大）
tough on
adjective + preposition
對...嚴厲、嚴格
get tough
verb phrase
採取強硬手段
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Tough"?Which "Tough" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×This math problem is very tough to solve.
✓This math problem is very hard to solve.
雖然 'tough' 和 'hard' 在許多情況下可以互換，但描述數學問題、考試或智力挑戰時，'hard' 更為自然。'Tough' 更常用於描述需要體力、耐力或情感韌性的情況。
×He is a real tough.
✓He is a real tough guy / He is really tough.
'Tough' 主要用作形容詞。雖然 'tough' 在非正式語境中可作名詞指「粗暴的人」，但非常罕見且不建議學習者使用。應使用形容詞結構或加上名詞如 'guy', 'person' 等。
×The surface of the road is tough.
✓The surface of the road is rough.
'Tough' 描述物體「堅韌、不易損壞」或任務「困難」。'Rough' 描述表面「粗糙不平」或情況「粗略、不精細」。兩者意思不同。
×It is tough for me to do this job.
✓It is tough for me to do this job. / This job is tough on me.
原句文法正確，但學習者常混淆 'tough for someone' 與 'tough on someone'。'Tough for' 指對某人來說困難；'tough on' 指對某人嚴厲或造成負擔。
×The steak is very tough to eat.
✓The steak is very tough.
描述肉類「老、嚼不動」時，單用 'tough' 即可。加上 'to eat' 雖然文法正確，但顯得多餘且不自然。
×He played tough in the game.
✓He played tough in the game. / He played tough defense.
在非正式口語或運動術語中，'play tough' 或 'act tough' 是固定用法，'tough' 在此作副詞性的補語。但學習者可能過度類推此用法到其他動詞，應注意 'tough' 主要仍是形容詞。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Tough"?What are tense/participle forms of "Tough"?