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Impossible vs Tough - What's the difference?

impossible | tough |

As adjectives the difference between impossible and tough

is that impossible is not possible; not able to be done or happen while tough is strong and resilient; sturdy.

As nouns the difference between impossible and tough

is that impossible is an impossibility while tough is a person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully.

As an interjection tough is

(slang) (used to indicate lack of sympathy).

As a verb tough is

to endure.

impossible

English

Alternative forms

* inpossible (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Not possible; not able to be done or happen.
  • * 1865 , (Lewis Carroll), (w, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
  • Nothing is impossible , only impassible.
  • * 13 March 1962 ,
  • Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-28, author=(Joris Luyendijk)
  • , volume=189, issue=3, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Our banks are out of control , passage=Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […].  Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible , there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.}}
  • (colloquial, of a person) Very difficult to deal with.
  • (math, dated) imaginary
  • impossible quantities, or imaginary numbers

    Synonyms

    * (l) (rare)

    Antonyms

    * (not able to be done or happen) possible, inevitable

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • an impossibility
  • * Late 14th century': “Madame,” quod he, “this were an '''impossible !” — Geoffrey Chaucer, ‘The Franklin's Tale’, ''Canterbury Tales
  • Statistics

    * ----

    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

    * ----