Tough Cookie Meaning, Examples and Synonyms

Tough Cookie Meaning is a person who can handle challenging circumstances and is not easily defeated, scared, or upset. When you describe someone as a tough cookie, you are referring to their strong will and determination. It is usually used for someone who is emotionally very strong.

He/she is a tough cookie is a Dutch proverb that originally read “hij/zij is een ouwe taaie” (an old tough). Because ‘taai taai’ is the brand name of the cookie itself (and it gets much tougher when it is old! ), ‘cookie’ / ‘koekje’ is omitted.

Usage with Example

Given below are a few examples of the idiom:

• Being a tough cookie, he got back up and returned to the ring for more fighting.
• To become a lawyer while supporting a family, you need to be a Tough Cookie.
• My coworkers are very Tough Cookie they were hard workers but also warm and considerate people.
• He claimed that his wife, a breast cancer survivor who fought the disease for almost ten years, is a tough cookie.
• Be ready because he’s one tough cookie, as I’ll tell you now.

Also Read: Break the Ice- Idiom

Synonyms and Similar Words

A few synonyms of the idiom are:

• Survivor
• Trooper
• tough girl
• tough nut to crack
• hardass
• strong person
• tough nut
• tough woman
• hard nut
• someone powerful

Also Read: Useful Idioms with Examples, Sentences and Meanings

Tough Cookie Meaning Quiz

She turned into a  Tough Cookie today after 

• getting scolded so badly by the manager.
• Eating sweets
• Running for 2 hours

Answer: getting scolded so badly by the manager.

Also Read: Idioms for IELTS

This was all about the idiom Tough Cookie Meaning. Hope you understood the concept where it’s used and what sort of feeling or meaning it conveys. For more such blogs, follow Leverage Edu.