Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) in a problematic manner.

1915

T. McNamara Us Boys 2 June [synd. cartoon strip] Gee but things is certainly runnin’ tough this year [...] The team’s on the fritz and — .

2. intensely, enthusiastically, commitedly.

1936		(con. 1920s) Dos Passos Big Money in USA (1966) 742: Charley was scared of dancing too tough so he held her a little away from him.
1960		C. Cooper Jr Scene (1996) 9: I went for you real tough [...] I like your style.
1968		N. Heard Howard Street 118: I’ma see what you guys want so tough that you gotta mess wid me when I’m gamblin’.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 9: I didn’t go for that scene too tough.
1999		‘Master Pimp’ Pimp’s Rap 87: I was macking tough. I went through whores like changing clothes.
2020		G. Krauze What They Was 156: I never really think about it [i.e. a murder] too tough again.

3. in an aggressive manner.

1938		D. Runyon ‘Social Error’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 449: He is building himself up to talk tough to a waiter.
1949		R. Chandler Little Sister 105: That’s why they talk so tough.
1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 34: Terry walked tough along the bars of river street.
1976		P. Theroux Family Arsenal 94: Hood had talked tough, and now Murf believed he was tough.
1995		(con. 1985–90) P. Bourjois In Search of Respect 198: I was only doing what the big boys were doing. Because I was hanging out tough.
2001		(con. 1964–8) J. Ellroy Cold Six Thousand 610: On va tuer le cochon. le cochon va mourir. Pete said yes. Pete amended. Pete said Die Tough.
2019		N. Walker Cherry 179: [I]t [i.e a mine] was big enough to have fucked us up something tough.

4. attractively.

1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 10: This broad was [...] stacked up real tough, with black, pretty hair and a crazy smile.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 135: She’s stacked tough enough to make a preacher lay his Bible down.
1970		G. Cain Blueschild Baby 173: Had rented a tux that didn’t fit too tough and the rain had knocked the creases out.

5. resolutely.

1998		L. Stringer Grand Central Winter (1999) 71: She started talking tough. Thirty-days-at-Riker’s-Island tough, to be exact.
2001		(con. 1964–8) J. Ellroy Cold Six Thousand 279: Barb was okay. Stanton prepared her. Barb held in tough.