Tough is strong; not easily broken or made weaker or defeated. Profoundly inspirational tough quotes will get you through anything when the going gets tough and help you succeed in every aspect of life.
If you’re searching for awesome encouraging quotes and uplifting mentor quotes that perfectly capture what you’d like to say or just want to feel inspired yourself, browse through an amazing collection of profound mind over matter quotes, best losing yourself quotes and famous stand out quotes.
Famous Tough Quotes
God already knows what we’re made of, but perhaps He wants us to learn what we’re made of. I think we would all agree that we learn more from our tough times than from our easy times. — John Bytheway
There’s so much built-up camaraderie and sacrifice, and football is such a tough man’s game. I think that’s why it’s so popular. That’s why so many blue-collar communities and people can really feel attracted to this because it is a blue-collar struggle that football players go through. — Troy Polamalu
I have been a practitioner of tough politics for many decades. There is little that amazes me and even less that shocks me. — Ed Rollins
Everybody likes each other until things get tough. Then you will find out what kind of team you have. — Doc Rivers
I grew up with a pretty tough mom. She was a self-appointed neighborhood watchdog, and if she saw that any of the local boys were up to no good, she would scold them on the spot. Although she is only 5 feet 2, she was famous in our neighborhood for intimidating men three times her size and getting them to do the right thing. — Hanna Rosin
Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. — Mario Lemieux
Wounds turn into scars and scars make you tough. — Aisha Tyler
I enjoy going to work and having a good time. It’s tough when you got to work with people who just are in a bad mood all the damn time. — Queen Latifah
Journalists are accused of being lapdogs when they don’t ask the hard questions, but then accused of being rude when they do. Good thing we have tough hides. — Gwen Ifill
We’ve had some tough times, but we’ve hung in there. — Paul Allen
When you’re in elected office, you always have to operate under the assumption that you’re in a dog fight for re-election. It’s when you don’t prepare for a tough battle, when you’re caught flat-footed, that you’re vulnerable. — Kevin Yoder
It was always tough, but today we are in the throes of something we have never seen in our history. It’s clear in recent times the market is looking for a bottom. — Sumner Redstone
Rocket science is tough, and rockets have a way of failing. — Sally Ride
Chemotherapy can be a long, tough haul – for me, it went on for six months – and the best doctors and nurses become, if only for that period of time, as essential in your life as friends or spouses. — Julia Glass
Even if I don’t always behave as I should, this still doesn’t explain why so many people have something against me. But you know how it is. A lot of people vent themselves by coming to the stadium to yell at me. I hope it’s not racism. I tell myself that it’s not racism; it’s because I’m tough, and I repeat this to myself. — Mario Balotelli
It was important to my father that I go to Hebrew school three days a week for two or three hours each time. To me, it felt endless. Think about it from a kid’s perspective: I would finish my normal school day, then get on a bus and go to another school. That was tough to take. — Steve Sheinkin
My parents are very proud of my success but still worry, as I’m in a profession where there is no guarantee of work. They have always supported my decision to go into acting, but there have been tough times work-wise. — David Harewood
Michael and I had great role models. Though his father has passed away, his parents had an amazingly strong marriage, as do mine. Both weathered really tough times. For us it has been normal to stay together through difficulties. We grew up witnessing that firsthand. — Tracy Pollan
If you want a good education, go to private schools. If you can’t afford it, tough luck. You can go to the public school. — Paul LePage
In tough times, everyone has to take their share of the pain. — Theresa May
I am obsessed with beauty. I want everything to be perfect, and of course it isn’t. And that’s a tough place to be because you’re never satisfied. — Robert Mapplethorpe
In school, I had a tough time fitting in, and dancing was my way of being in my own element. As a teenager, I became a bit disillusioned with it. Even with competitions, I’d win, but still there would be tears. — FKA twigs
My dad was a longshoreman in the Port of Miami. Tough job. I worked down there in the summer once. One day. Never again. My dad was a no-nonsense guy. As a kid, I hated his rules, but as a man, I understand what he was teaching. He taught me you have to work hard for everything you get. — Nick Ferguson
The polls indicated that I was feisty, that I was tough, that I had a sense of humor, but they weren’t quite sure if they liked me and they didn’t know whether or not that I was sensitive. — Geraldine Ferraro
It was definitely some tough moments throughout my life, but I kind of stayed focused and came through the other end of the tunnel. — Victor Cruz
Most of the time my own family feels like I don’t need anything, I’m tough as nails and I don’t have any feelings about anything. They really think that I’m this super tough person. I have a tough exterior, but I get upset. I have feelings and all those things. I wear my heart on my sleeve. — NeNe Leakes
Making every record is a process full of tough times. — Ezra Koenig
A little light on the RPG elements but heavy on action, ‘Mass Effect 2’ was the game that created a world of characters that I actually cared about. When it came down to making those tough decisions during the final mission, I actually had to put the controller down and think about my choices. — Rob Manuel
For my 50th birthday, I got ahold of a new print of ‘Saturday Night Fever.’ I see it much more as a tough coming-of-age movie than as a disco story. — Gene Siskel
If you were a son of mine, I wouldn’t want you to be an architect, because it’s a tough way to be in the world. — Peter Eisenman
Listen, I have a great affection and respect for Joe Biden. I think he’s been a great vice president. He’s taken on a lot of tough assignments for our administration. — David Axelrod
To be in this business and have tremendous integrity and only make distinguished choices is very tough. — Alec Baldwin
I loved Allan Dwan. He was a tough old guy. — Harry Carey, Jr.
I’m an athlete. I’m strong. I’m tough. And that’s how women should be. That’s how they should be built. — Bristol Palin
I never thought of myself as unlucky. When you aim high, it’s tough to get there unless something really fortunate happens. — Henry Cavill
It’s tough to find a place not to like in Switzerland. — Michele Bachmann
There’s a fine line between being sweet and innocent and being a tough broad. — Phyllis George
You either go along with the system – conform to what is expected to be a hit – or you have very tough going — Budd Schulberg
These are tough times, and the New Yorkers I have met are facing economic adversity with grace and dignity. They worry about their future, care about their neighbors and hope this storm will pass so they can focus on better days ahead. — Harold Ford, Jr.
Plus, when you get in tough situations, like the bases loaded and nobody out, you never give in. — Dwight Gooden
I was always told that I was too small, too skinny, too slow, not tough enough, and I never ever believed what people told me. — Joe Theismann
It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken. — Frank Perdue
I was the guy who makes you scrub the latrine, the guy who makes you make your bed, the guy who screams at you for being late to work. The job requires you to be a mean, tough person. And I was fed up with it. I promised myself that if I ever got away from it, it wasn’t going to be that way any more. — Bob Ross
Throughout history, when societies face tough economic times, we have seen democratic reforms deferred, decreased trust in government, persecution of minority groups, and a general shrinking of the democratic space. — Samantha Power
Year after year, we see a new crop of musicians who do their best to look tough in lipstick and makeup. Maybe it’s a cry for help, an admission of their strong feminine side, or the realization that they don’t look so good any other way. Whatever the reason, makeup is as rock n’ roll as a Marshall stack. — Shawn Amos
Never give up, and be confident in what you do. There may be tough times, but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your objectives and to win against all the odds. — Marta
It was only after university that I said to myself that I had to take the risk and have a serious go at acting. It’s such a bizarre profession, because you have to be totally tough to deal with all those times when you’re being turned down, and then really soft in order to access your character’s emotions. — Felicity Jones
Golfers have a tendency to be very masochistic. They like to punish themselves for some reason. A lot of them like tough courses. — Jack Nicklaus
From what I’ve understood, it’s an entirely different world, and it’s a tough world to get your foot in the door, but I’ve always wanted to be a voice of a Disney character. — Sean Maher
It hasn’t been hard getting nominated, but winning it is another thing. The competition is tough. — Gary Burton
It’s so tough to get movies made in Ireland anymore. A whole generation of Irish filmmakers doesn’t have the resources to get a movie made. — Ciaran Hinds
Working together during the past three years, we have confounded the skeptics and the cynics. We’ve shown that here in Virginia, Democrats and Republicans can come together, put politics aside, and make tough decisions when times demand it. — Mark Warner
‘Higher Power’ was the result of a personal experience: a friend of mine who went through the process of addiction and recovery. It’s a very, very tough thing – very easy to become addicted and very, very hard to become a recovering addict. — Tom Scholz
It is not whether your words or actions are tough or gentle; it is the spirit behind your actions and words that announces your inner state. — Chin-Ning Chu
Constant contact is what people require these days. Its tough on artists. — Emily Robison
Be an advocate for your loved ones in the hospital. Ask tough questions of your local hospital and health system about preparedness for the likeliest emergencies, and express your views on how medical resources should be allocated in case they ever fall short. — Sheri Fink
For me, I always wonder what’s worse: an emotional betrayal or a physical betrayal? That’s a really tough call. — Hilarie Burton
I’m not a tough guy. I’m just delivering the truth and only the truth and if you can’t deal with it, too bad. — Kevin O’Leary
I’m strong, I’m tough, I still wear my eyeliner. — Lisa Leslie
It’s a tough marketplace right now… It is very compressed… A turnaround is likely to happen quicker than before. — Peter Chernin
I grew up in the ’50s, a tough time for African Americans. I had friends whose fathers would openly say, ‘Just bite your tongu;, don’t cause any problems.’ My father was not like that. Even in the toughest times racially, if somebody disrespected his family, they were in trouble. — Gregory Hines
You’re a hero one day, you’re a villain another day. They say that’s football. When a manager does well, they’re applauded, when they don’t do well, they get the sack. Football is a tough world. Those who watch enjoy it – for everybody else, there are a lot of challenges. — Vincent Tan
Any time you end a relationship, and everyone has ended plenty in their life, it’s always a tough thing and hard to get over. — Adam Brody
I was obliged to take tough, painful and bold decisions to ensure a manageable tomorrow. — Nicos Anastasiades
I think you need to go through some stuff to really appreciate life and understand what it means to persevere, overcome and have faith. I think those tough times make you a stronger person. — Judith Hill
I find acting tough, but sitting around chatting – that’s easy. — Nick Frost
I have my good and bad days, but when it’s tough I just push through it. — Christie Rampone
It’s a tough life being a pop star. You know, at the end of the day when you’ve paid all the bills and put the kids through college and that, you know, there’s only enough left for a small island off the South Pacific. — Larry Mullen
My positions on gun safety have remained consistent over the years, and have been on my website for years. Whether I’m in a tough re-election race, an easy re-election race, or if it isn’t an election year, whether there’s a high-profile tragedy in the news or otherwise, my position remains unchanged and on my website. — Brad Sherman
I say find one true friend to help you get through the tough times. — Kelly Osbourne
True fans of the Constitution, like true fans of the national pastime, acknowledge the critical role of human judgment in making tough calls. We don’t expect flawless interpretation. We expect good faith. We demand honesty. — Eric Liu
It’s one thing to be this ‘tough chick,’ but you also have to be likeable. — Lauren Lee Smith
A guy’s who has all the money he needs and never faced any hard times, he won’t have any character. But when you’ve had it tough and you’ve had it rough and you thought you were at the end of the rope and you work your way out of it, that’s the way you build character. — Bobby Bowden
The American people, in their own families, they understand that you have to do that. You have to make the tough decisions. You have to get your budget. You have got to put it in order. And they expect their elected officials and their leaders to do likewise. — Cathy McMorris Rodgers
We will not duck the tough issues, we will lead. — Paul Ryan
Patience is a virtue, and I’m learning patience. It’s a tough lesson. — Elon Musk
Films are artifice. We’re telling stories on film. At the same time, when it works, there is a real tough immediacy and spontaneity to it, and a punch. — Paul McGann
We all come to the point where it’s time to get yourself straight, as a businesswoman, a mother, whatever you are in life. It’s tough love but it’s also being real with yourself. It’s important to take those rose-coloured glasses off and see what’s going on. — Kelly Rowland
Early in my career, I sometimes found it difficult to make the tough people decisions – I had to learn that. In business, you want to listen. You want to learn. You want to make sure you’re not proceeding without information. But if you wait too long, you can actually hurt an organization even more. — Laura Lang
On a film crew, you can see very quickly that some people who are working with you are stronger than you. Then you have to have the humility to listen to them. And because very often they have better ideas than yours, it can be tough on the evil ego. But it makes a better film. — Denis Villeneuve
The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year. — John Dulles
It doesn’t matter how successful you are in this business, it’s tough to get through the next door. — Kevin Sorbo
Acting is a tough business, and the percentage of people who make it is very low – it’s about 1 percent. — Lee Majors
Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June. — Al Bernstein
Poets go through a very tough apprenticeship in the use of words. — Helen Dunmore
There’s no changing your mind about whom you love. That’s part of the tough thing about being in love – it’s sort of undeniable. — Piper Perabo
In tough times, some of us see protecting the climate as a luxury, but that’s an outdated 20th-century worldview from a time when we thought industrialization was the end goal, waste was growth, and wealth meant a thick haze of air pollution. — Alex Steffen
It’s tough as an artist to have such a specific vision for your video in mind when you write a song. Reaching out to directors is like going on blind dates and trying to find someone who sees the exact vision behind your music, which can be really difficult. — Hayley Kiyoko
Sometimes as a parent, you have to give your child that doesn’t do his or her chores some tough love and withhold the allowance. — Ami Bera
The real challenge of being a flight attendant is getting people out. The training requires that they demonstrate they can evacuate an aircraft within 90 seconds, but of course, a lot of stuff that is easy to do in training turns out to be tough in practice. — Philip Greenspun
I strongly believe that you can’t win in the marketplace unless you win first in the workplace. If you don’t have a winning culture inside, it’s hard to compete in the very tough world outside. — Douglas Conant
But only ‘rich’ people by definition have the ‘extra’ money to buy things and invest to create economic growth. Do we really want to tax that ‘extra’ money away – and give it to the government to spend? Does that make any economic sense outside of politics and our emotional desire to make everyone suffer equally through these tough times? — Terry Savage
Last year was a tough decision for me, to end my season so short. But it was the right decision for me, because right now I feel great. I can go out here and sprint full speed right now, but I’m just going to pace myself for April 5. — Brian Jordan
I might have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for. — Lou Gehrig
If we do not make tough decisions now, future Americans will have to make even tougher ones. — Virginia Foxx
It was tough at the time but when I was younger, my Dad. I would say my Dad, because without him I wouldn’t have been here. I mean it was tough for me because he was really demanding. With him, it was never enough, you know, anything I did was never enough. — Thierry Henry
With acting, I’ve always gotten by in life acting in situations. I’m a small person. I didn’t have a chance to be a bully. But I could always act myself out of tough situations. — T’Keyah Crystal Keymah
When you have little children, you want to tell them about joy and happiness and hope. And then comes the time you want to tell them there are tough moments. I admire people who can do that. — Peter Sis
I have to be a lot more calculating because I’m a very private person. I actually really struggle with the attention; I’m generally a pretty shy kind of a person. So it’s tough figuring out how to manage it. But there are ways of managing it, and you just have to be smart. — Emily Watson
If we were really tough on crime, we’d try to save our children from the desperation and deprivation that leave them primed for a life of crime. — Carrie P. Meek
