different between powerful vs tough

English

Alternative forms

• powreful, powrefull (all obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English pouerful, powarfull, equivalent to power +? -ful.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?pa??f?l/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?pa??f?l/
• Hyphenation: pow?er?ful

Adjective

powerful (comparative more powerful or powerfuller or powerfuler, superlative most powerful or powerfullest or powerfulest)

1. Having, or capable of exerting power, potency or influence.
2. (mining) Large; capacious; said of veins of ore.

Synonyms

• mightful
• mighty
• powersome
• strengthful
• strong
• forceful

Antonyms

• powerless
• strengthless

Translations

See also

• strong

Adverb

powerful (comparative more powerful, superlative most powerful)

1. (Southern US) Synonym of very

Anagrams

• powreful

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