Tough

Able to withstand hardship, pressure, criticism, or demanding conditions.

Tough means: Able to withstand hardship, pressure, criticism, or demanding conditions. Behavior in practice: Keeps functioning under strain, tolerates discomfort, and may use a hard exterior to protect against vulnerability. Context for Tough: The tendency is best understood through repeated behavior across situations, because intention, intensity, timing, and consequences can change how it is experienced. Similar traits for Tough: resilient, strong, hardy — related qualities that overlap with Tough while differing in motive, behavior, or intensity. Opposite traits for Tough: fragile, vulnerable, delicate — useful contrasts showing how behavior or judgment can move in a different direction from Tough. Tough is context-dependent rather than automatically good or bad; its effect changes with intensity, timing, culture, goals, and the person’s ability to adapt when circumstances change. To assess Tough fairly, look for a consistent pattern across time and situations, consider the surrounding context, and avoid defining someone by a single incident.