Meaning & use
tough guy
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Meanings
nouncountableinformal
A man who acts physically strong and unafraid, or who wants others to think he is.
Grammar: Takes an article: a tough guy, the tough guy.
Patterns
- act like a tough guy
- play the tough guy
He acts like a tough guy, but he is afraid of spiders.
The film's hero is a quiet tough guy with a soft heart.
Don't try to play the tough guy with me.
nouncountableinformalhumorous
Someone who can endure difficulty or pain without complaining, said with admiration or humor.
Grammar: Often used as a direct address: Okay, tough guy.
Patterns
- Okay, tough guy
You carried all those bags yourself? Nice work, tough guy.
The little boy said he was a tough guy and did not cry.
Okay, tough guy, let me see the cut.
Word forms
| plural | tough guys |
|---|
Common combinations
- act like a tough guy
- Stop acting like a tough guy.
- play the tough guy
- He played the tough guy to impress his friends.
- tough guy image
- The singer dropped his tough guy image.
- tough guy act
- The tough guy act did not fool anyone.
- movie tough guy
- The movie tough guy ended up in tears.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hard man
- Hard man is British and implies real toughness or a violent reputation.
- macho man
- Macho man focuses on exaggerated masculinity, while tough guy is about toughness.
- bruiser
- A bruiser is physically big and strong and perhaps ready to fight.
- hard case
- Hard case is British, for someone difficult and rough.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: tough guy or tough love?
tough guy vs tough love
Tough love means being strict with someone for their own good. It is about behavior, not a type of person.
Practice
A friend boasts loudly that he is not scared of anything, but you think he is just showing off. You could call him a ___.
Choose one answer.
Tough guy fits someone acting fearless to impress. The other options do not suggest showing off.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tough guy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.