toughie

or tough·y

[ tuhf-ee ]

noun

, Informal.

, plural tough·ies.

1. a tough person, especially one who is belligerent:

   The sheriff was a local toughie with very little patience for outsiders.

2. a difficult problem or situation:

   That math test was a real toughie!

3. a harsh or blunt book, movie, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of toughie¹

First recorded in 1920–25; tough + -ie

Example Sentences

When the waitress, a toughie who intimidated us when she took our order, brought out the soup, she glared at us as she dropped it at the table.

From New York Times

Mind you, the first knockout hurdle on the road to Istanbul looks a toughie.

From The Guardian

The Supreme Court will end up hearing about 70 cases a year — in theory the toughest of the toughies — and 40% of the time the justices will still issue a unanimous ruling.

From Washington Times

In contrast, Mapplethorpe, who emerged in the anything-goes 1970s, explored his various identities “as a woman, as a gangster, as a devilish imp, as a toughie, as nothing special.”

From New York Times

When asked about Judy Garland, he’d say, “I thought she was going to be a toughie, but she wasn’t.”

From The New Yorker