Skip to main content
Urban Dictionary Merch
Your favorite words on things you can wear, drink from, read, or give to a friend.
The Urban Dictionary Store sells gifts you’ll have to explain.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going 

What this means is that when faced with difficulties and adversity, those who are mentally and physically resilient do not give up, but formulate an effective and disciplined plan of action which they initiate and carry through to a successful conclusion.
"Despite getting stuck with the fallout from Malcolm's fuck-up, Nick got everything sorted inside of a week!"
"Yeah, when the going gets tough, the tough get going."
Related Words

tough crack to nut 

an extremely attractive woman that no guy can score with
“Yeah, she’s as hot as a firecracker but you’d better forget it, pal. That’s a tough crack to nut.”

taghniper 

/tan-ah-per/

noun: taghniper; plural noun: taghnipers

1. a street or passage closed at one end.

2. no through road, blind alley, dead end.

3. a route or course leading nowhere.

Origin:
American Gaelic
“Our house is located on a quiet taghniper.”

"The first six months of the investigation were a frustrating taghniper for police, tips and leads going nowhere.”
taghniper by GrayRider1917 November 27, 2020

tough language 

Profanity-laced, colorful metaphors describing those kinds of people and places. You know the ones.
The President used tough language to describe the people and countries that are keeping America from becoming great again. You know the ones.
tough language by Bogrimm January 17, 2018

tough scene 

Term popularized by sportstalkjoe and his followers on Twitter, used to describe something that is particularly unpleasant, hard to watch, or difficult to deal with.
Me: “Hey SportsTalkJoe, find a job yet?”
SportsTalkJoe: “Nope, too busy injecting marijuana into my ass”
Me: “Tough Scene”
tough scene by michaeljordanGOAT December 15, 2018

Tough nuggets

An obnoxious phrase used by old farts to dismiss someone's misery.

The origins of this phrase are unclear, but it is said that a group of old anarchists from New Jersey took it from James Joyce's "Ulysses"

" roguewords, tough nuggets patter in their pockets." from "Ulysses (Chap. 3 - Proteus)"
Mitch: How are you handling this weather, Lindsey?

Lindsay: Not good, I'm from San Diego.

Mitch: Well, tough nuggets to you, kiddo.
Tough nuggets by DavidHarveyRules January 23, 2014
More from Urban Dictionary
NYC people who migrate north to Quahog, RI to see the leaves in the fall.
New York and everyone from there can fornicate themselves with an iron stick.
leafers by ss++ February 8, 2005
Word of the Day on September 27, 2026

Respectfully 

Precedes or follows either a gratuitously disrespectful or honest remark, originated in New York City. Used in similar fashion to "no offense" or "to be honest," interchangeably.
Ya mans is wild buns, respectfully. Respectfully he's washed.

After school, The Modells on Jamaica Ave was active. Respectfully.
Respectfully by john quan the first December 20, 2020
Word of the Day on September 26, 2026

You met me at a very Chinese time in my life

A moment in time where you feel distinctly Chinese over all other things.
Dante: "I wish I could be Nigerian, but I can't because I'm Chinese. You met me at a very Chinese time in my life."
Word of the Day on September 25, 2026
Adjective. Used to describe persons who have adjusted or altered their lifestyle for environmental reasons. Crunchy persons tend to be politically strongly left-leaning and may be additionally but not exclusively categorized as vegetarians, vegans, eco-tarians, conservationists, environmentalists, neo-hippies, tree huggers, nature enthusiasts, etc.

Also used to describe establishments where alternative foods and products are sold, i.e. natural food stores.

Modified derivative of granola.
"I need more crunchy guys in my life. I'm so tired of dating preppy metrosexual assholes."

"I'm heading out to the crunchy store to pick up some fair trade chocolate and tea tree oil, do you need anything?"
crunchy by EBC July 11, 2007
Word of the Day on September 24, 2026
A group of people, typically women, searching through someone’s digital footprint in order to find more information about that person.
Susie wasn’t sure if her new Hinge match was a creep, so she assembled Galantir and they found out he used to post slurs on gaming forums.
Galantir by Ge-sus September 22, 2026
Word of the Day on September 23, 2026

murderhobo 

In a tabletop game, a murderhobo is a player who murders NPCs indiscriminately. This is normally derogatory, referring to a player who totally ignores quests, dialog, backstory, trade, world building etc.

The term is most common with Dungeons and Dragons, but it can be applied to most RPGs where the player is allowed to kill most quest-giving NPCs and NPC traders. E.g. Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Divinity original sin.
DM: The sad little orphan girl tugs at Steve's trenchcoat to get his attention, and ask for help saving her pet dog from...
Steve: I'd like to roll a strength check against strangling the orphan.
Dave: I call dibs on the dog.
DM: You murderhobos disgust me.
murderhobo by Loup&S September 9, 2021
Word of the Day on September 22, 2026
Next