(n.) One of an association of robbers and murderers in India who practiced murder by stealthy approaches, and from religious motives. They have been nearly exterminated by the British government.
Example Sentences:
(1) Thugs are distributing leaflets threatening to "wipe us out" and children in schools are being taught that the Rohingya are different.
(2) Mugabe and his Zanu-PF thugs, terrified of losing their empire, unleashed a carefully targeted anarchy at anyone who showed the slightest sign of dissent.
(3) "It took 21 days to get my hands on the brilliant Thug Life, whereas the book took me 77 days," he writes.
(4) But with a murderous thug ejected from power, who could object?
(5) Here's one entry: 1995: The government is full of jack-booted thugs in bucket helmets.
(6) In Ya’alon’s place is set to come a man routinely described as a thug, even if he did once serve as foreign minister.
(7) During the police repression of the Tunisian revolution, they were beaten by security thugs, and in rural areas around Kasserine some were raped by police after demonstrations.
(8) The commissioner of the Metropolitan police, Sir Paul Stephenson, said today that armed officers protecting Prince Charles and his wife Camilla as their car was attacked by student protesters showed "enormous restraint" and condemned the "thugs" who attacked the vehicle.
(9) After all, every veto holder had attacked another country in defiance of the charter, but no one had ever disputed the alleged Westphalian right of each anointed thug to mistreat his "own" people.
(10) "Free speech is a principle of our democracy, but the thugs that prompted violence ... represent in no way shape or form the Canadian way of life," Dimitri Soudas, the chief spokesman for the prime minister, Stephen Harper, said.
(11) "The media like to paint a picture of hooligans and thugs, mindless men on the rampage.
(12) She has no problem combining the roles of mother and hitperson: during one exchange of fire, she offs three thugs, then turns to her daughter and asks, "Honey, should we get a puppy?"
(13) Not surprisingly, the Thugs caught the imagination of the British at home (which is how the word "thug" entered the English language), and became a touchstone for colonial justifications for ruling India.
(14) Bikers for Trump: 'He'll get my vote because he's off his goddamn rocker' Read more Although Cleveland is the most fortified city in America at the moment, with thousands of police, FBI and secret service agents securing the Republican national convention, David – who won’t give me his last name but says he is from Minnesota – worries about “agitators” and “thugs” who make him feel unsafe.
(15) "If we are going to conduct a population-centric strategy in Afghanistan, and we are perceived as backing thugs, then we are just undermining ourselves," Major General Michael T Flynn, then the senior US military intelligence official in Afghanistan, was quoted as saying .
(16) Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a longstanding critic of Obama’s foreign policy credentials, urged the president to “do something” rather than deliver what he called empty threats to “thugs and dictators”.
(17) You used to be pretty certain, when a killing happened, that it was the work of the state, or thugs in the pay of the state.
(18) One of the emails mentioned Watson, who strongly denied any involvement, but the Sun branded him “a Brownite thug”.
(19) How embarrassing that some members of the government appear to have behaved in the manner of uncouth thugs – and towards someone representing the UN, which dared to question the bedroom tax.
(20) Hosni Mubarak launched his counter-revolution today, sending waves of armed thugs to do battle with pro-democracy demonstrators in Cairo and other cities.
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.