Either hard to break or cut, or a person who is strong and doesn't show weakness; can also describe a difficult situation.
From Old English 'tōh,' related to Old Norse 'tógr,' meaning sticky or flexible; the modern meaning shifted from 'flexible' to 'hard' and then to 'strong' or 'difficult.'
The word 'tough' originally meant something that bends without breaking—like taffy—but English speakers slowly applied it to people who endure hardship, making it a metaphor about emotional resilience.
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