76 entries under tough topic. ×

46
harsh(adjective, mean, hard, easy)
43
severe(adjective, appearance, mean, hard)
36
rigid(adjective, hard, easy, severe)
35
hard(adjective, person, mean, easy)
34
austere(adjective, appearance, hard, severe)
33
strict(adjective, hard, easy, severe)
32
grim(adjective, person, appearance, mean)
25
rigorous(adjective, hard, severe, rough)
21
inflexible(adjective, hard, severe, rough)
19
stringent(adjective, hard, severe, rough)
18
unsympathetic(adjective, person, mean, severe)
16
firm(noun, adjective, hard, severe)
15
unrelenting(adjective, appearance, mean, severe)
14
exacting(adjective, hard, easy, severe)
14
dour(adjective, hard, severe, sharp)
14
unkind(adjective, person, hard, severe)
13
obdurate(adjective, mean, hard, severe)
13
unbending(adjective, hard, severe, rough)
12
brutal(adjective, person, mean, hard)
12
forbidding(adjective, appearance, severe, firm)
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APASmart Define. (2016). stern thesaurus. Retrieved September 27, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/stern/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2016. "stern thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/stern/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 27, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2016, stern thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 27 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/stern/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "stern thesaurus" 24 March 2016. Web. 27 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/stern/thesaurus/synonyms>