different between doughty vs tough

English

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Middle English doughti, dou?ty (“brave, bold, valiant; fierce, strong; bold warrior; excellent, honourable, noble, worthy; handsome, splendid; excellent or worthy person”) [and other forms], from Old English dohti?, dyhti? (“competent, doughty, good, strong, valiant”), from Proto-West Germanic *duht?g, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *d?ewg?- (“to produce (something useful); to be strong, have force”). The English word may be analysed as dought +? -y, and is cognate with Danish dygtig (“virtuous, proficient”), Dutch duchtig (“severe, strict”), German tüchtig (“capable, competent, efficient; big; hard”), Icelandic dygðugur (“virtuous, stable”), Scots douchty, douchtie (“bold, valiant”), Swedish duktig (“efficient; good; capable, clever, smart”).

The noun is derived from the adjective.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?da?ti/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?da?ti/, [-?i]
• (Canada) IPA^(key): [?d????i] (Canadian raising)
• Rhymes: -a?ti

Adjective

doughty (comparative doughtier or more doughty, superlative doughtiest or most doughty)

1. (dated or archaic) Bold; brave, courageous.

   Synonyms: dauntless, fearless, intrepid, resolute, stouthearted, valiant; see also Thesaurus:brave

   Antonyms: see Thesaurus:cowardly

Derived terms

• dought
• doughtily
• doughtiness
• doughty-handed

Translations

Noun

doughty (plural doughties)

1. (archaic, rare) A person who is bold or brave.

Translations

References

Middle English

Adjective

doughty

1. Alternative form of dou?ty

English

Etymology

From Middle English tough, towgh, tou, to?, from Old English t?h (“tough, tenacious, holding fast together; pliant; sticky, glutinous, clammy”), from Proto-West Germanic *t??h(?), from Proto-Germanic *tanhuz (“fitting; clinging; tenacious; tough”), from Proto-Indo-European *den?- (“to bite”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: t?f, IPA^(key): /t?f/
• Rhymes: -?f
• Homophone: tuff

Adjective

tough (comparative tougher, superlative toughest)

1. Strong and resilient; sturdy.

   The tent, made of tough canvas, held up to many abuses.

2. (of food) Difficult to cut or chew.

   To soften a tough cut of meat, the recipe suggested simmering it for hours.

3. Rugged or physically hardy.

   Only a tough species will survive in the desert.

4. Stubborn.

   He had a reputation as a tough negotiator.

5. (of weather etc) Harsh or severe.
6. Rowdy or rough.

   A bunch of the tough boys from the wrong side of the tracks threatened him.

7. (of questions, etc.) Difficult or demanding.

   This is a tough crowd.

8. (material science) Undergoing plastic deformation before breaking.

Derived terms

Translations

Interjection

tough

1. (slang) Used to indicate lack of sympathy

   If you don't like it, tough!

Translations

Noun

tough (plural toughs)

1. A person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully.

Translations

Verb

tough (third-person singular simple present toughs, present participle toughing, simple past and past participle toughed)

1. To endure.
2. To toughen.

Derived terms

• tough out

Translations

Anagrams

• ought

German

Etymology

From English tough; see also German taff.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /taf/

Adjective

tough (comparative tougher, superlative am toughsten or am toughesten)

1. (slang) Alternative form of taff (“tough; robust; assertive and not overly sensitive”)

Declension

declension with am toughsten

declension with am toughesten

Further reading

• “tough” in Duden online

Middle English

Noun

tough

1. Alternative form of tow