30
burly(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
30
oppressive(adjective, dull, hard, severe, firm)
29
sturdy(adjective, calm, person, quality, body)
29
firm(adjective, calm, mean, clear, strong)
29
flinty(adjective, strong, hard, firm, harsh)
29
thug(noun, person, mean, bad, attack)
29
cruel(adjective, mean, strong, hard, cool)
29
roughneck(noun, person, mean, bad, attack)
29
thorny(adjective, hard, difficult, complex, problematic)
27
adamantine(adjective, strong, hard, firm, unreasonable)
27
tight(adjective, strong, hard, difficult, complex)
26
inflexible(adjective, characteristic, mean, strong, hard)
26
hefty(adjective, person, dull, body, strong)
26
hooligan(noun, person, mean, attack, informal)
26
rigid(adjective, characteristic, mean, strong, hard)
26
stout(adjective, calm, person, body, strong)
26
grievous(adjective, hard, severe, difficult, harsh)
26
painful(adjective, bad, hard, severe, difficult)
26
serious(adjective, bad, strong, hard, easy)
26
unbreakable(adjective, strong, firm, solid, stiff)
10 years ago|60k views|share |citing 
APASmart Define. (2016). tough thesaurus. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/tough/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2016. "tough thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/tough/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 24, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2016, tough thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/tough/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "tough thesaurus" 30 March 2016. Web. 24 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/tough/thesaurus/synonyms>