tough love

noun

1. a mixture of toughness and warmth used in a relationship, especially with an adolescent.

tough love

noun

1. the practice of taking a stern attitude towards a relative or friend suffering from an addiction, etc, to help the addict overcome the problem

Word History and Origins

Origin of tough love¹

First recorded in 1977; after Toughlove, a network of support groups

Example Sentences

Hurt by this tough love, Gogo routinely suggests that they go their separate ways, but how could either go on without the other?

From Los Angeles Times

In their rallies, and on the airwaves, the Democrats’ response to disaffected men seems to be a dose of tough love.

From BBC

Dunn, who often represents tech companies in court, operates with "tough love", 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton told the newspaper.

From BBC

But Walker, speaking on the You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast, insists that tough love as a youngster helped forge him into an elite player.

From BBC

He had a pretty embarrassing event with alcohol and the police, and after some tough love from his wife, a “gut check moment”, he decided to not drink again.

From Salon