toughness

Everyday

1. Toughness is being strong and hard to break, bend or damage. tree →
2. Toughness is being brave and strong in your mind, able to put up with pain or hard times. tree →
3. Toughness of meat or food is being hard to cut or chew. tree →
4. (materials science) Toughness is how much energy a material can take before it breaks. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons about materials, pupils test toughness and compare it with hardness and strength. In sports and stories, toughness means not giving up. In lessons on fights and courage, children learn that real toughness can mean walking away or standing up for others, not hitting. Phrases: «mental toughness», «show toughness», «toughness test».

Examples

• Rubber boots need toughness to survive the mud. tree →
• We tested the toughness of three kinds of paper. tree →
• The goalkeeper showed real toughness after the injury. tree →
• The toughness of the steak made it hard to chew. tree →
• True toughness is staying calm when someone wants a fight. tree →
• Glass is hard but has little toughness, so it shatters. tree →

Note

Uncountable: no «a», no plural. From «tough» + -ness. Science trap: hard is not the same as tough. A diamond and glass are hard (hard to scratch) but can shatter; rubber is not hard but is tough.