the.com/tough
The quality of bending the world before it bends you.
means Hard to break, hurt, or chew through — whether describing meat, people, problems, or luck.
from From Old English toh, meaning sticky or tenacious — the same stubborn fiber that makes gum cling and leather refuse to tear.
Original senseDescribed tenacious, clinging stickiness, not strength.
Tough vs hardMaterials science: hard resists scratches, tough resists shattering.
Tough luckSarcastic sympathy dating to the 1900s.