What's the difference between tenacious and tough?

Tenacious


Definition:

  • (a.) Holding fast, or inclined to hold fast; inclined to retain what is in possession; as, men tenacious of their just rights.
  • (a.) Apt to retain; retentive; as, a tenacious memory.
  • (a.) Having parts apt to adhere to each other; cohesive; tough; as, steel is a tenacious metal; tar is more tenacious than oil.
  • (a.) Apt to adhere to another substance; glutinous; viscous; sticking; adhesive.
  • (a.) Niggardly; closefisted; miserly.
  • (a.) Holding stoutly to one's opinion or purpose; obstinate; stubborn.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The insurgency is still raging, and the president will have to inspire the security forces, choose generals to lead the fight, and plot tactics to beat a tenacious and experienced enemy.
  • (2) RSL trying to get their own flowing passing game going now, but the Timbers looking tenacious in midfield to break it up.
  • (3) Another factor is the decline of caste, the tenacious Indian social hierarchy which still determines the status of hundreds of millions.
  • (4) A tenacious Anabaena epiphyte was also discovered inhabiting the surfaces of root nodules.
  • (5) His family belonged to the Ghanchi caste, low down on the tenacious social hierarchy that still often defines status in India, and had little money.
  • (6) Another facilitating factor which is discussed is that blowing the nose may catch tenacious mucus which has partly passed through the ostium by the ciliary activity in the sinus.
  • (7) Malta continued to defend tenaciously after half-time and Italy struggled to create openings, despite their overwhelming dominance.
  • (8) However, attempts to cultivate M phi for morphological and functional studies have often been compromised because M phi adhere rapidly and tenaciously to cultureware.
  • (9) The exudate, apparent as early as 48 hours after inoculation, drained from the cervix as a tenacious, mucopurulent discharge for several days, then rapidly disappeared.
  • (10) Thirty-four patients, 21 male and 13 female, with chronic asthma and tenacious mucoid expectoration were studied regarding clinical parameters, PEF, airway resistance and sputum viscosity measured according to the n.m.r.
  • (11) Mark Lewis and Charlotte Harris, two tenacious solicitors, were followed around, together with their children.
  • (12) The cholla cacti are particularly tenacious in the manner in which the spines stay embedded in the skin.
  • (13) The action of complement is considered in terms of a more tenacious bond formed between effector and target cells.
  • (14) Two immunologically distinct proteins of 55 and 26 kd, which are tenaciously, but noncovalently associated with Oxytricha macronuclear DNA termini, have been purified.
  • (15) So they fought tenaciously, first over prices and then over privatisation.
  • (16) But the Justice Department attorney Ron Wiltsie, who impugned Xenakis’s credentials in tenacious cross-examination, said Dhiab had committed “five assaults since April 2014”.
  • (17) The observation that glucose phosphates bind to the Li+ complex of phosphoglucomutase some 900 times more tenaciously than to the corresponding Mg2+ complex could provide a partial rationale for the lack of reactivity of the Le+ form of the enzyme.
  • (18) "For rural areas, farmers, dalits (those at the bottom of India's tenacious social hierarchy), weak and the pained, this government is for them.
  • (19) [Small Talk, like the all-action investigative journalist that it is, tenaciously refuses to let the question go] And you're other half, she's an Irish pool international?
  • (20) Isis will then be reduced to what it once was: a very brutal and tenacious Iraqi militant organisation.

Tough


Definition:

  • (superl.) Having the quality of flexibility without brittleness; yielding to force without breaking; capable of resisting great strain; as, the ligaments of animals are remarkably tough.
  • (superl.) Not easily broken; able to endure hardship; firm; strong; as, tough sinews.
  • (superl.) Not easily separated; viscous; clammy; tenacious; as, tough phlegm.
  • (superl.) Stiff; rigid; not flexible; stubborn; as, a tough bow.
  • (superl.) Severe; violent; as, a tough storm.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Photograph: Guardian The research also compiled data covered by a wider definition of tax haven, including onshore jurisdictions such as the US state of Delaware – accused by the Cayman islands of playing "faster and looser" even than offshore jurisdictions – and the Republic of Ireland, which has come under sustained pressure from other EU states to reform its own low-tax, light-tough, regulatory environment.
  • (2) Nick Robins, head of the Climate Change Centre at HSBC, said: "If you think about low-carbon energy only in terms of carbon, then things look tough [in terms of not using coal].
  • (3) A series of hierarchical multiple regressions revealed the effects of Surgency, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Intellect on evoking upset in spouses through condescension (e.g., treating spouse as stupid or inferior), possessiveness (demanding too much time and attention), abuse (slapping spouse), unfaithfulness (having sex with others), inconsiderateness (leaving toilet seat up), moodiness (crying a lot), alcohol abuse (drinking too much alcohol), emotional constriction (hiding emotions to act tough), and self-centeredness (acting selfishly).
  • (4) A lfred Ekpenyong knows first hand how tough it can be to find a secure foothold in mainstream society after leaving prison.
  • (5) The texture of a food item can be distinguished in hardness, toughness, stickiness, juiciness and chewability.
  • (6) Even as the Obama administration moves to deal with some of Guantánamo's most notorious captives, it faces tough challenges to closing the facility.
  • (7) "It's a tough group but other groups are also tough.
  • (8) This allowed it to claim that it was becoming more professional, tough minded and responsible.
  • (9) The austerity programmes administered by western governments in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis were, of course, intended as a remedy, a tough but necessary course of treatment to relieve the symptoms of debts and deficits and to cure recession.
  • (10) And he pleased the audience with an acknowledgement that social work is a tough job and social workers only human.
  • (11) Trade unions have sought to highlight the insecurity of workers who have been forced into self-employment in the tough jobs market of recent years.
  • (12) UK negotiatiors, though, fought back hard -- thus Cameron's fighting talk in his press conference ( see 12.46pm ) 12.49pm BST Open Europe tweets Cameron's tough talk on the rebate: Open Europe (@OpenEurope) Cameron: in Feb we reached a clear deal rebate would remain unchanged, since then some have tried to question this agreement June 28, 2013 Open Europe (@OpenEurope) Cameron: I defeated these attempts to change the rebate, it will remain unchanged for this long term budget June 28, 2013 12.46pm BST David Cameron press conference underway In Brussels, David Cameron is holding his press conference now.
  • (13) The mechanical properties of compressed beam specimens of microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel pH 101) have been assessed in terms of the tensile strength (sigma t), Young's modulus (E) and the following fracture mechanics parameters: the critical stress intensity factor (KIC), the critical strain energy release rate (GIC) and the fracture toughness (R).
  • (14) "2013 was a tough year for us both in minerals and in oil and gas," Cochrane said, adding that the group had relied on"self help", including diversification which offset some of the challenges in its core mining market, improving operational efficiency, and strong growth in its after sales business, where orders were up 16% on 2012 and which accounted for 63% of revenues last year.
  • (15) "We carved out a few chances, but it was tough to break them down."
  • (16) Channel 5 will be hoping for a similar return for its new series, although with the launch audience around a third down on last year's opener, it may prove a tough ask.
  • (17) Dimon, the charismatic leader of the bank, had enjoyed a reputation as a tough, strict taskmaster, the kind of CEO every bank should have.
  • (18) Cameron put all of his betting chips on what seemed to be the party's trump card: the "vote for us, we're tough on migration and tough on migrants" strategy.
  • (19) As well as limited terms for MPs, Grillo has called for a referendum on the euro and a tough line on immigration.
  • (20) "It's a tough game but our best football has come in this competition and we'll try and show it next week.