tough out

verb

To endure (a hardship or challenge) by being tough: relying on one's toughness.

“He toughed out his parents' divorce.”

Similar
tough it outface outstick it out
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Meanings

verbtough out (third-person singular simple present toughs out, present participle toughing out, simple past and past participle toughed out)

present singular third person toughs out · participle present toughing out · participle past toughed out · past toughed out

  1. informaltransitiveTo endure (a hardship or challenge) by being tough: relying on one's toughness.

    He toughed out his parents' divorce.

    2 more examples

    Near-synonyms: face it out, stick it out

    When their main crop failed because of drought, they had no choice but to tough it out: they lived in poverty that winter.

    Synonyms: tough it out, face out, stick it out

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo endure (a hardship or challenge) by being tough: relying on one's toughness.

Similar
tough it outface outstick it out
Also see
gut outtough it out
Cite this entry
APA

tough out. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tough%20out

MLA

“tough out.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tough%20out. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tough out,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tough%20out.

Source: tough out on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.