toughness
mental strength under stress
being strong and not giving up when life is hard
the toughness to do [something]; toughness in the face of [something]
- She showed real toughness when she lost her job and still kept going.
- The team’s toughness was obvious in the final minutes of the game.
- It takes toughness to admit you were wrong and try again.
- You need toughness to finish the course.
- His toughness helped him stay calm.
resistance to damage or breaking
being strong and not easily damaged
the toughness of [material/object]
- The toughness of this phone case protects it from drops.
- Engineers increased the toughness of the alloy to prevent cracking.
- This backpack’s toughness makes it ideal for travel.
- This material has good toughness.
- The box needs more toughness.
chewy, hard-to-eat quality
when food is too hard to chew
the toughness of [food]
- The toughness of the steak made it hard to enjoy.
- Overcooking increases the toughness of chicken breast.
- I tried to fix the toughness by slicing it very thin.
- The meat had a lot of toughness.
- This steak is too tough.
strict, uncompromising attitude
being very strict and not giving in easily
toughness on [issue]; toughness in [negotiations/leadership]
- The manager’s toughness helped the team meet the deadline.
- Voters responded to his toughness on corruption.
- Her toughness in negotiations surprised the suppliers.
- The coach’s toughness pushed us to work hard.
- They wanted toughness in the new leader.
engineering measure of crack resistance
(technical) how well a material resists breaking
toughness of [material]; measure toughness
- The report compares the toughness of several composite materials.
- Heat treatment can improve toughness while maintaining strength.
- Engineers tested the sample’s toughness at low temperatures.
- Base: toughness
- Plural: toughness, toughnesses
fracture toughness
1material’s resistance to cracking
A measure of how well a material can resist cracks growing and causing it to break.
- Engineers tested the fracture toughness of the new alloy.
- High fracture toughness is important for aircraft materials.
fracture toughness
1resistance to crack growth
(technical) how hard it is for a crack to spread
- This alloy has high fracture toughness, so cracks spread more slowly.
- The lab measured fracture toughness at different temperatures.
- Designers choose materials based on strength and fracture toughness.
mental toughness
1focus and confidence under pressure
staying strong in your mind when things are hard
- The coach trains players to build mental toughness.
- Finishing the marathon required mental toughness.
- Her mental toughness helped her handle criticism.
physical toughness
1ability to handle physical strain
being strong enough for hard physical activity
- Preseason training is designed to build physical toughness.
- Hiking in winter tests physical toughness.
- They added strength work to improve physical toughness.
toughness on crime
1strict approach to crime
being very strict about crime and punishment
- The candidate promised toughness on crime during the campaign.
- Critics argued that toughness on crime did not reduce reoffending.
- The mayor emphasized prevention rather than toughness on crime.
toughness test
1situation proving how tough
a hard challenge that shows strength
- Working night shifts was a real toughness test for him.
- The final interview felt like a toughness test.
- The heat turned the hike into a toughness test.
toughness training
1practice to build toughness
training to become tougher
- The program includes toughness training as well as strength work.
- Some teams use toughness training to prepare for high-pressure games.
- Their toughness training focuses on fatigue and decision-making.