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Challenging vs Tough - What's the difference?

challenging | tough |

As verbs the difference between challenging and tough

is that challenging is present participle of lang=en while tough is to endure.

As adjectives the difference between challenging and tough

is that challenging is difficult, hard to do while tough is strong and resilient; sturdy.

As nouns the difference between challenging and tough

is that challenging is the act of making a challenge while tough is a person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully.

As an interjection tough is

Used to indicate lack of sympathy

challenging

English

Verb

(head)

    • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Difficult, hard to do.

    • Antonyms

    * unchallenging

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act of making a challenge.
  • * Estcourt Rowland Metzner, The conflict of tax laws (page 151)
    • There are always sincere challengings of the findings, always the objections (sincere in another sense) of those whose interests seem threatened.

    See also

    * challenge

    tough

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Strong and resilient; sturdy.
    • The tent, made of tough canvas, held up to many abuses.
  • (of food) Difficult to cut or chew.
    • To soften a tough cut of meat, the recipe suggested simmering it for hours.
  • Rugged or physically hardy.
    • Only a tough species will survive in the desert.
  • Stubborn.
    • He had a reputation as a tough negotiator.
  • (of weather etc) Harsh or severe.
  • Rowdy or rough.
    • A bunch of the tough boys from the wrong side of the tracks threatened him.
  • Difficult or demanding.
    • This is a tough crowd.
  • (material science) Undergoing plastic deformation before breaking.

    • Derived terms

    * do it tough * hang tough * supertough * tough call * tough case * tough cookie * tough crowd * tough love * tough luck * tough-minded * tough nut to crack * tough row to hoe * tough shit * tough titty * tough toodles * tough tuchus * toughen * toughie * toughish * toughly * toughness * toughy * ultratough *

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • (slang) (Used to indicate lack of sympathy)
    • If you don't like it, tough !

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully.
    • They were doing fine until they encountered a bunch of toughs from the opposition.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To endure.
  • To toughen.

    • Derived terms

    * tough it out * tough out

    Anagrams

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