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adjective · A2 · very often · UK/US

tough

tough

Meaning of tough

hard to chew

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How important is this word
A2very often

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Pronunciation
British English/ˈtʌf/
American English/ˈtʌf/
Russian transcription[ˈʐostkʲɪj]
tough
tough - жёсткий
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tough with Russian translation

tough usage examples

🇷🇺Russian🇬🇧English

Стейк был жёстким и трудно жевался.

The steak was tough and hard to chew.

🇷🇺Russian🇬🇧English

Избегайте покупки жёстких кусочков мяса, если хотите, чтобы оно было мягким после приготовления.

Avoid buying tough cuts of meat if you want it tender.

Learn by topic

tough belongs to the topic "Cooking Descriptions". Start with a short 7-word set so the word is easier to remember in context.

toughжёсткий
appleяблоко
butterсливочное масло
chickenкурица
choppedрубленый
cookedприготовленный
frozenзамороженный

tough synonyms

Related word breakdowns

What's the difference between tough / chewy / leathery / stringy / firm / dense

🇬🇧English
tough

жёсткий — hard to chew

A2Very Often

The steak was tough and hard to chew.

Стейк был жёстким и трудно жевался.

🇬🇧English

Emphasizes that food needs a lot of chewing; often pleasantly or neutrally hard to chew.

A2Very Often

The steak was chewy and took a long time to eat.

Стейк был жёстким/жевучим — его приходилось долго жевать.

🇬🇧English

Implies a dry, leather-like toughness (often unpleasant); stronger and more specific than 'tough'.

A2Rarely

The overcooked chicken was leathery and tough to swallow.

Пережаренная курица была кожистой (leathery) и трудно жевалась.

S
🇬🇧English
stringy

Specifies a stringy, fibrous texture (often of meat or vegetables) that makes chewing awkward.

A2Often

The chicken was stringy and hard to cut into neat pieces.

Курица была волокнистой (stringy) и тяжело разрезалась, её трудно жевать.

🇬🇧English

Means solid or stable in texture; may not imply difficulty chewing the way 'tough' does.

A2Very Often

The apple was firm but not tough to bite.

Яблоко было плотным (firm), но не жёстким при жевании.

🇬🇧English

Refers to compactness or heaviness of structure; can make chewing harder but focuses on consistency.

A2Often

The cake was dense and rich, so a small piece was filling.

Пирог был плотным (dense) и тяжёлым по структуре.

🇬🇧English

Highlights rough or grainy texture; may or may not imply chewiness or toughness.

A2Often

The bread had a coarse crumb and a chewy crust.

Хлеб имел грубую (coarse) структуру крошки и жёсткую корку.

What's the difference

Related words and lists for tough

How to pronounce tough and what this word means

tough translation: жёсткий. This page includes translation, pronunciation, transcription, audio, usage examples and related words.

how to pronounce tough

/ˈtʌf/

tough translation

жёсткий

tough examples

The steak was tough and hard to chew.

tough transcription

/ˈtʌf/, /ˈtʌf/

How this dictionary entry is reviewed

ZapomniEnglish prepares dictionary data automatically, then the editorial workflow checks high-frequency words, top lists, and pages that already receive search impressions first.

Translation and meaningPronunciation and transcriptionExamples, synonyms, and topics

Questions about this word

tough meaning: what does it mean?

hard to chew

tough pronunciation: how do you pronounce it?

tough is pronounced as /ˈtʌf/. Audio is available on this page when the word has a recording.

tough definition and sentence examples: how is it used in a sentence?

The steak was tough and hard to chew. Translation: Стейк был жёстким и трудно жевался.

Is tough part of Cooking Descriptions vocabulary?

Yes, tough (жёсткий) can be learned in the Cooking Descriptions topic. This semantic link helps build related word lists and topic-based practice.

Is tough part of Food vocabulary?

Yes, tough (жёсткий) can be learned in the Food topic. This semantic link helps build related word lists and topic-based practice.

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