Hard vs. Tough: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 26, 2023
Hard refers to something physically solid, unyielding, or difficult to break, whereas tough denotes durability, resilience, or difficulty in enduring circumstances.
Key Differences
Hard is often used to describe a solid, firm surface or material, indicating its physical resistance to force or pressure. Tough, on the other hand, implies a level of durability and resilience, suggesting an object or material can withstand stress without breaking.
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Dec 26, 2023
In terms of difficulty, hard implies a challenging or demanding situation or task, often requiring effort or skill to overcome. Tough is used to describe situations or conditions that are harsh, demanding endurance or resilience.
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Dec 26, 2023
When referring to people, describing someone as hard may imply they are unyielding or strict, while calling someone tough often suggests they are strong-willed or able to endure hardships.
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Dec 26, 2023
In the context of food, a hard texture is firm and solid, possibly difficult to chew. In contrast, tough food requires a lot of chewing because it's fibrous or stringy.
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Dec 26, 2023
In intellectual or abstract contexts, hard can denote something that is complex and difficult to understand, while tough can refer to emotionally or mentally challenging situations.
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Dec 26, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Abstract Concepts
Complex, difficult to grasp
Emotionally/Mentally demanding
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Hard and Tough Definitions
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Tough
Able to withstand great strain without tearing or breaking; strong and resilient
A tough all-weather fabric.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Resistant to pressure; not readily penetrated; firm or solid
A hard material.
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Hard
Well protected from an attack, as by aerial bombardment
Bunkers and other hard targets.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
Inclined to violent or disruptive behavior; rowdy or rough
A tough street group.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Performed with or marked by great diligence or energy
A project that required years of hard work.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Difficult to understand or impart
Physics was the hardest of my courses. Thermodynamics is a hard course to teach.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
Difficult to deal with; demanding or troubling
It's tough to go to school and work a full-time job. The exam had many tough questions.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Proceeding or performing with force, vigor, or persistence; assiduous
A hard worker.
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Tough
(Informal) Unfortunate; too bad
It was a tough break to get sick on the day of the concert.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
(of a material) Strong and resilient; sturdy.
The tent, made of tough canvas, held up to many abuses.
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Hard
Lacking compassion or sympathy; callous
Became hard after years in prison.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
(of food) Difficult to cut or chew.
To soften a tough cut of meat, the recipe suggested simmering it for hours.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
(of a person or animal) Rugged or physically hardy.
Only a tough species will survive in the desert.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Oppressive or unjust in nature or effect
Restrictions that were hard on welfare applicants.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
(of a person) Stubborn or persistent; capable of stubbornness or persistence.
He had a reputation as a tough negotiator.
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Hard
Harsh or severe in effect or intention
I said some hard things that I regret.
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Hard
Marked by stubborn refusal to compromise or yield; uncompromising
Drives a hard bargain.
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Tough
Rowdy or rough.
A bunch of the tough boys from the wrong side of the tracks threatened him.
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Hard
Causing damage or premature wear
Snow and ice are hard on a car's finish.
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Tough
(slang) Used to indicate lack of sympathy
If you don't like it, tough!
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
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.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Free from illusion or sentimentality; practical or realistic
We need to take a hard look at the situation.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
Having the quality of flexibility without brittleness; yielding to force without breaking; capable of resisting great strain; as, the ligaments of animals are remarkably tough.
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Hard
Using or based on data that are readily quantified or verified
The hard sciences.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
Not easily broken; able to endure hardship; firm; strong; - of objects and people; as, tough sinews.
A body made of brass, the crone demands, . . . Tough to the last, and with no toil to tire.
The basis of his character was caution combined with tough tenacity of purpose.
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Hard
Marked by sharp delineation or contrast
A hard line separating the two lists.
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Tough
Stiff; rigid; not flexible; stubborn; as, a tough bow.
So tough a frame she could not bend.
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Hard
Being a turn in a specific direction at an angle more acute than other possible routes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
Prone to aggressive or violent behavior; rowdyish; - of people, or groups; as, a tough neighborhood; a tough character.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
A person who is tough{7}; a ruffian; a thug; as, a cluster of neighborhood toughs hanging out on the corner.
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Tough
Someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing
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Hard
Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media
Sent the information by hard mail.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
Very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution;
A rugged competitive examination
The rugged conditions of frontier life
The competition was tough
It's a tough life
It was a tough job
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Containing dissolved salts that interfere with the lathering action of soap or other cleansing agents. Used of water.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
Substantially made or constructed;
Sturdy steel shelves
Sturdy canvas
A tough all-weather fabric
Some plastics are as tough as metal
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
(Linguistics) Velar, as in c in cake or g in log, as opposed to palatal or soft.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tough
Feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad');
My throat feels bad
She felt bad all over
He was feeling tough after a restless night
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Extremely or dangerously addictive. Used of certain illegal drugs, such as heroin.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
With strenuous effort; intently
Worked hard all day.
Stared hard at the accused criminal.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
In such a way as to cause great damage or hardship
Industrial cities hit hard by unemployment.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Near in space or time; close
The factory stands hard by the railroad tracks.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
(of material or fluid) Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Resistant to pressure.
This bread is so stale and hard, I can barely cut it.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
(of a normally nonalcoholic drink) Containing alcohol.
Hard cider, hard lemonade, hard seltzer, hard soda
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Hard
(of water) High in dissolved chemical salts, especially those of calcium.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Having the capability of being a permanent magnet by being a material with high magnetic coercivity (compare soft).
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Difficult or requiring a lot of effort to do, understand, experience, or deal with.
A hard problem;
A hard question;
A hard topic
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Severe, harsh, unfriendly, brutal.
A hard master;
A hard heart;
Hard words;
A hard character
The senator asked the party chief to put the hard word on his potential rivals.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
(of a road intersection) Having a comparatively larger or a ninety-degree angle.
At the intersection, there are two roads going to the left. Take the hard left.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Sexually aroused; having an erect penis.
I got so hard watching two hot girls wrestle each other on the beach.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
(bodybuilding) Having muscles that are tightened as a result of intense, regular exercise.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Rigid in the drawing or distribution of the figures; formal; lacking grace of composition.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
In a physical form, not digital.
A soft or hard copy; a digital or hard archive
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Using a manual or physical process, not by means of a software command.
A hard reboot or reset
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
(finance) Of a market: having more demand than supply; being a seller's market.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
(manner) With much force or effort.
He hit the puck hard up the ice.
They worked hard all week.
At the intersection, bear hard left.
The recession hit them especially hard.
Think hard about your choices.
The couple were fucking each other hard.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
A firm or paved beach or slope convenient for hauling vessels out of the water.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
A tyre whose compound is softer than superhards, and harder than mediums.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Not easily penetrated, cut, or separated into parts; not yielding to pressure; firm; solid; compact; - applied to material bodies, and opposed to soft; as, hard wood; hard flesh; a hard apple.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Difficult, mentally or judicially; not easily apprehended, decided, or resolved; as a hard problem.
The hard causes they brought unto Moses.
In which are some things hard to be understood.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Difficult to accomplish; full of obstacles; laborious; fatiguing; arduous; as, a hard task; a disease hard to cure.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Difficult to resist or control; powerful.
The stag was too hard for the horse.
A power which will be always too hard for them.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Difficult to bear or endure; not easy to put up with or consent to; hence, severe; rigorous; oppressive; distressing; unjust; grasping; as, a hard lot; hard times; hard fare; a hard winter; hard conditions or terms.
I never could drive a hard bargain.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Difficult to please or influence; stern; unyielding; obdurate; unsympathetic; unfeeling; cruel; as, a hard master; a hard heart; hard words; a hard character.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Not easy or agreeable to the taste; harsh; stiff; rigid; ungraceful; repelling; as, a hard style.
Figures harder than even the marble itself.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Abrupt or explosive in utterance; not aspirated, sibilated, or pronounced with a gradual change of the organs from one position to another; - said of certain consonants, as c in came, and g in go, as distinguished from the same letters in center, general, etc.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Rigid in the drawing or distribution of the figures; formal; lacking grace of composition.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
With pressure; with urgency; hence, diligently; earnestly.
And prayed so hard for mercy from the prince.
My fatherIs hard at study; pray now, rest yourself.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
With tension or strain of the powers; violently; with force; tempestuously; vehemently; vigorously; energetically; as, to press, to blow, to rain hard; hence, rapidly; nimbly; as, to run hard.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure;
A difficult task
Nesting places on the cliffs are difficult of access
Difficult times
A difficult child
Found himself in a difficult situation
Why is it so hard for you to keep a secret?
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Metaphorically hard;
A hard fate
Took a hard look
A hard bargainer
A hard climb
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Very strong or vigorous;
Strong winds
A hard left to the chin
A knockout punch
A severe blow
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Characterized by toilsome effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort;
Worked their arduous way up the mining valley
A grueling campaign
Hard labor
Heavy work
Heavy going
Spent many laborious hours on the project
Set a punishing pace
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Of a drinker or drinking; indulging intemperately;
Does a lot of hard drinking
A heavy drinker
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
With effort or force or vigor;
The team played hard
Worked hard all day
Pressed hard on the lever
Hit the ball hard
Slammed the door hard
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Causing great damage or hardship;
Industries hit hard by the depression
She was severely affected by the bank's failure
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
Very near or close in space or time;
It stands hard by the railroad tracks
They were hard on his heels
A strike followed hard upon the plant's opening
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Oct 19, 2023
Hard
To the full extent possible; all the way;
Hard alee
The ship went hard astern
Swung the wheel hard left
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Oct 19, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
What does "hard" mean in a physical context?
It refers to something solid and unyielding.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 26, 2023
Can "hard" imply difficulty?
Yes, it often refers to challenging tasks or situations.
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Dec 26, 2023
Is "tough" used to describe difficult conditions?
Yes, especially those requiring endurance.
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Dec 26, 2023
How is "tough" used to describe materials?
It indicates durability and resilience.
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Dec 26, 2023
What does "hard" mean when describing a person's character?
It suggests they are strict or unyielding.
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Dec 26, 2023
How does "hard" describe food texture?
It means firm, possibly difficult to chew.
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Dec 26, 2023
How does "tough" describe a person?
It implies strength, resilience, and endurance.
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Dec 26, 2023
Can "tough" describe a challenging life situation?
Yes, particularly one that tests resilience.
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Dec 26, 2023
Is "tough" used in emotional contexts?
Yes, for situations that are mentally or emotionally demanding.
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Dec 26, 2023
Can "hard" mean severe or harsh?
Yes, it can describe severe conditions or strict rules.
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Dec 26, 2023
Is "hard" associated with labor-intensive work?
Yes, it's often used to describe physically demanding tasks.
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Dec 26, 2023
Can "hard" refer to a strict discipline or approach?
Yes, like a hard-line political stance.
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Dec 26, 2023
Can "hard" relate to intellectual challenges?
Yes, it can denote complex or difficult-to-understand concepts.
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Dec 26, 2023
What does "tough" mean in the context of food?
It refers to fibrous or stringy texture, hard to chew.
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Dec 26, 2023
Does "tough" have a colloquial usage?
Yes, it's often used informally to describe difficult circumstances or resilient individuals.
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Dec 26, 2023
Does "tough" imply uncompromising attitudes?
Yes, it can refer to a firm or unyielding stance.
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Dec 26, 2023
How is "tough" used in sports terminology?
It often describes a player or team that's resilient and hard to defeat.
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Dec 26, 2023
How does "hard" relate to economic situations?
It can describe challenging economic conditions.
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Dec 26, 2023
Is "hard" used in the context of sound or music?
It can describe a loud, forceful sound or a genre of music like hard rock.
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Dec 26, 2023
Is "tough" used to describe weather conditions?
Yes, especially harsh or challenging weather.
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Dec 26, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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