tough

difficile, duro

Difficile da fare, capire o affrontare.

In inglese semplice: Difficult to do, understand, or deal with.

• That is a tough question.
• We had to make some tough decisions.
• Finding work proved tougher than she expected.

Come si usa: tough to do something (This question is tough to answer.)

Sinonimi: difficult, hard, demanding

Contrari: easy

Espressioni comuni: tough decision, tough question, tough job

severo, rigido

Fermo e severo, poco disposto a cambiare o ad ammettere eccezioni.

In inglese semplice: Firm and strict, and unwilling to change or allow exceptions.

• The school has tough rules.
• She takes a tough stance on cheating.
• The new manager is tougher on late arrivals.

Come si usa: tough on someone/something (The school is tough on bullying.)

Sinonimi: strict, firm, uncompromising

Contrari: lenient

Espressioni comuni: tough stance, tough rules, tough on crime

duro, forte

Fisicamente forte e capace di affrontare dolore o scontri senza paura.

In inglese semplice: Physically strong and able to face pain or fights without fear.

• My brother is a tough guy.
• She is tougher than she looks.
• The fighters were tough, but they treated us kindly.

Sinonimi: strong, hardy

Contrari: weak

Espressioni comuni: tough guy, tough fighter, tough person

duro, pesante

Doloroso o pesante da vivere perché provoca sofferenza, preoccupazioni o difficoltà.

In inglese semplice: Unpleasant to experience because it causes pain, worry, or hardship.

• Life was tough after the factory closed.
• They faced a tough winter without heating.
• The judge gave him a tough prison sentence.

Sinonimi: harsh, hard

Contrari: gentle

Espressioni comuni: tough life, tough punishment, tough treatment

resistente, robusto

Che resiste ai danni, alla rottura e all’usura.

In inglese semplice: Strong enough to resist damage, breaking, or wearing out.

• These boots are made of tough leather.
• We need a tough fabric for the tent.
• The plastic is tough enough to survive a fall.

Sinonimi: strong, durable, sturdy

Contrari: fragile

Espressioni comuni: tough leather, tough material, tough fabric

duro, stopposo

Si dice di un alimento difficile da tagliare o masticare.

In inglese semplice: Food that is difficult to cut or chew.

• The meat is tough.
• My steak was too tough to eat.
• Cooking it slowly can make a tough cut softer.

Sinonimi: chewy

Contrari: tender

Espressioni comuni: tough meat, tough steak, tough beef

pazienza, peggio per te

Si dice per mostrare che il problema o la lamentela di qualcuno non interessa.

In inglese semplice: Said to show that you do not care about someone’s problem or complaint.

• You missed your turn? Tough!
• If you do not like the rules, tough!
• You wanted a bigger room? Well, tough!

Sinonimi: too bad

Espressioni comuni: well tough, tough luck

teppista, bullo

Persona che usa minacce o violenza per ottenere ciò che vuole.

In inglese semplice: A person who uses threats or violence to get what they want.

• A local tough demanded our money.
• The owner hired two toughs to guard the door.
• Several street toughs threatened the shopkeeper.

Sinonimi: thug, bully

Espressioni comuni: local tough, hired tough, street tough