tough1 /tʌf/ ●●● S2 W2 adjectiveadj (comparativecomp tougher, superlativesupl toughest) 1 difficult 困难的DIFFICULT difficult to do or deal with 难办的,棘手的,费力的 It was a tough race. 比赛打得很艰难。
She’s had a tough life. 她的生活十分艰辛。
The company admitted that it had been a tough year. 公司承认那是艰难的一年。
Tough decisions will have to be made. 必须作出艰难的决定。
The reporters were asking a lot of tough questions. 记者们问了很多难以回答的问题。
have a tough time (of it) (=face a lot of difficult problems) 日子很难过 The family has had a tough time of it these last few months. 最近几个月这家人的日子很难熬。
it’s tough doing something It’s tough being married to a cop. 嫁给一个警察日子不好过。
be tough on somebody (=cause problems for someone or make their life difficult) 使某人日子难过 Having to stay indoors all day is tough on a kid. 对于小孩子来说,整天待在屋里不出门是很难熬的。
It was a tough call (=a difficult decision), but we had to cancel the game because of the weather. 尽管是一个艰难的决定,但由于天气不好我们只得取消比赛。
I find his books pretty tough going (=difficult to read). 我发现他的书很难读。
Gage predicted the president’s proposal would be a tough sell (=something that is difficult to persuade someone about) before Congress. American EnglishAmE 盖奇预言总统的提议在国会很难通过。
when the going gets tough (the tough get going) informal (=used to say that when a situation becomes difficult, strong people take the necessary action to deal with it) 时艰出英雄
► see thesaurus at difficult 2 strong person 坚强的人STRONG PERSON physically or emotionally strong and able to deal with difficult situations 坚强的,顽强的;能吃苦耐劳的 The men who work on the oil rigs are a tough bunch. 在石油钻塔上工作的都是吃苦耐劳的人。
tough cookie/customer informal (=someone who is very determined to do what they want and not what other people want) 我行我素的家伙
as tough as nails/as tough as old boots (=very tough) 非常坚强的;能吃大苦的 He’s as tough as nails – a good man to have on the team. 他是个很坚韧的人——队里有他真好。
► see thesaurus at determined 3 strong material 坚固的材料STRONG OBJECT not easily broken or made weaker 结实的,不易破损的;坚固的 tough, durable plastic 坚韧耐用的塑料
a very tough, hard-wearing cloth 非常结实、耐磨的布料
► see thesaurus at strong 4 strict/firm 严格/坚定DETERMINEDSTRICT very strict or firm 严厉的;强硬的tough on/with My mother was very tough on my sister. 我母亲对我姐姐十分严厉。
It’s time to get tough with drunk drivers. 是该严厉处理酒后驾车的司机了。
The EU is taking a tough line with the UK over this issue. 在这一问题上,欧盟对英国的态度很强硬。
► see thesaurus at strict 5 violent area 暴力地区VIOLENT a tough part of a town has a lot of crime or violence 〔城区〕暴力犯罪多发的,治安很差的tough neighborhood/area/part of town etc a tough area of Chicago 芝加哥治安很差的一个地区
6 tough!/that’s tough! spokenDON'T CARE used when you do not have any sympathy with someone 活该! ‘I’m getting wet.’ ‘Tough! You should’ve brought your umbrella.’ “我淋湿了。”“活该!你应该带上雨伞的。”
She didn’t tell us she was coming, so if this screws up her plans that’s just tough. 她没有告诉我们她要来,所以如果这打乱了她的计划,也是活该。
7 tough luck! spoken a) DON'T CAREused when you do not have any sympathy for someone’s problems 活该倒霉! Well, that’s just their tough luck! It was their mistake. 好啊,活该他们倒霉!那是他们自己的错。
b) British EnglishBrESYMPATHIZE used when you feel sympathy about something bad that has happened to someone 真倒霉!〔表示同情〕 You didn’t get the job? Oh, tough luck! 你没有得到那份工作?噢,真不走运!
8. tough shit! spoken not polite used when you do not have any sympathy for someone’s problems 活该! 9 violent person 粗暴的人VIOLENT likely to behave violently and having no gentle qualities 粗暴的,凶恶的 one of football’s most notorious tough guys 足球界一个声名狼藉的恶棍
tough young thugs looking for trouble 到处滋事的年轻暴徒
10 food 食物DFHARD difficult to cut or eat 切不下的;咬不动的;不嫩的,老的 OPP tender The meat was tough and hard to chew. 这肉太老,很难嚼动。
the tough outer leaves of the cabbage 洋白菜外面那几层老菜叶
► see thesaurus at hard 11. tough love a way of helping someone to change their behaviour by treating them in a kind but strict way 〔为帮助某人改变行为而采取的〕严厉的爱tough love• In the world of rehabilitating addicts, this is known as showing your child tough love.• It was just a good, tough love story, and that was one of the parts that made it tough. —toughly adverbadv
—toughness noun [uncountableU]