Difficult
Difficult adjective - Requiring considerable physical or mental effort.
Usage example: difficult questions on the exam that required analytical thinking
Tough is a synonym for difficult in hard topic. In some cases you can use "Tough" instead the word "Difficult" as an adjective or a noun, when it comes to topics like heavy, bad, laborious, easy. popular alternative
Nearby Word: difficulty
Tough
Tough adjective - Requiring considerable physical or mental effort.
Usage example: even if you study for it, it's still a tough exam
Difficult is a synonym for tough in heavy topic. You can use "Difficult" instead an adjective "Tough", if it concerns topics such as laborious, arduous, easy. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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Nigh Invulnerable: Prometheans are all very tough and difficult to kill... and they need to be.
- Synopsis: Life's tough questions reach some children most poignantly - And for the young, a heavy burden is difficult to hide.
Source: Fanfic Recs / Loveless -
Hard Levels, Easy Bosses: The game as a whole is not especially difficult, but some of the levels can be surprisingly tough, especially if you're meticulous about getting the solar cells.
Source: Video Game / Jett Rocket
Cite this Source
Tough and Difficult. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/difficult/tough
Difficult & Tough. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/difficult/tough>.
Tough or Difficult. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/difficult/tough.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "difficult" and "tough" have occurred on timeline