get tough with someone Definition

tough
adj

1. Strong and durable; not easily cut, broken, torn or worn out.
2. Said of food, especially meat: difficult to chew.
3. Said of a person, animal, etc: strong and fit and able to endure hardship.

Thesaurus: strong, wiry, robust, taut, mighty.
4. Difficult to deal with or overcome; testing.

Example: a tough decision
Thesaurus: difficult, hard, troublesome, laborious, resisting, thorny, vexatious, onerous, puzzling; Antonym: easy, simple.
5. Severe and determined; unyielding; resolute.

Example: a tough customer
Thesaurus: stubborn, perseverant, determined, unyielding, obstinate, relentless, set; unsentimental, hard-boiled (slang), hard-nosed (slang), thick-skinned.
6. Rough and violent; criminal.

Example: a tough area
7. colloq
Unlucky; unjust; unpleasant.
Example: The divorce was tough on the kids

noun

1. A rough violent person, especially a bully or criminal.

adverb

1. colloq
Aggressively; in a macho way.
Example: acts tough when he's with his mates

Derivative: toughish
adj

Derivative: toughly
adverb

Derivative: toughness
noun

Idiom: get tough with someone

colloq
To begin to deal with them more strictly or severely.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon toh.

Phrasal Verb: tough something out

To withstand (a difficult, trying, etc situation) stoically or with great endurance, stamina, etc.
Example: lost his job and had to tough out the winter with hardly any money for heating