toughie
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.