Toughen sb up Meaning & Examples: How to Use This Phrasal Verb

What Does “Toughen sb up” Mean?

“Toughen sb up” means to make someone stronger, braver, or more resilient, especially by exposing them to difficult situations.

Introduction

The phrase “toughen sb up” is commonly used when talking about helping someone become more emotionally or physically strong. It often involves encouraging a person to face challenges without giving up easily. Understanding the toughen sb up meaning helps learners use it correctly in conversations about personal growth, parenting, or training. This phrasal verb is practical in both casual and formal settings and adds variety to your English vocabulary.

Quick Info Box

• Phrasal verb: toughen somebody up
• Type: transitive
• Level: B2
• Short meaning: to make someone stronger or more resilient

Structure (Grammar Rules)

“Toughen sb up” is a separable phrasal verb. You can place the object (sb) between “toughen” and “up” or after the entire phrasal verb.

• toughen someone up
• toughen up someone

Example patterns:

• They toughen their children up by encouraging independence.
• Coaches try to toughen up players before the season starts.

How to Use Toughen sb up?

Use “toughen sb up” when you want to describe the process of making someone stronger mentally or physically. It often applies to children, athletes, or anyone facing challenges. This phrase can be positive, showing support, or slightly critical if the person is too harsh.

You can use it in various tenses depending on the context:

• Present: I toughen my kids up by letting them solve problems.
• Past: The coach toughened the team up before the big game.
• Future: Parents should toughen their children up for real life.

Examples

Here are some sentences using “toughen sb up” in real-life contexts:

• The teacher tries to toughen up her students by assigning challenging tasks.
• My parents always said toughen yourself up and don’t be afraid of failure.
• Military training is designed to toughen recruits up quickly.
• Sometimes, you need to toughen yourself up to handle stress at work.
• They toughened the children up by making them do outdoor activities regardless of the weather.

These examples show how to use “toughen sb up in a sentence” naturally.

Common Mistakes

People sometimes confuse the order or use the wrong object placement. Here are some typical errors:

• Incorrect: She toughened up her kids.
• Correct: She toughened her kids up.
• Incorrect: They toughened up the team the coach.
• Correct: The coach toughened the team up.

Remember, the object usually goes between “toughen” and “up” or after the full phrasal verb.

Differences / Synonyms

Similar phrasal verbs include “build up,” “harden,” and “strengthen.” However, “toughen sb up” specifically focuses on increasing resilience through challenge.

• Build up: Can mean to increase strength but often refers to muscles or confidence gradually.
• Harden: Usually means to make someone less sensitive emotionally or physically.
• Strengthen: More general; can mean making muscles or skills stronger.

“Toughen sb up” implies preparing someone to face difficulties better.

Common Collocations

You will often hear “toughen sb up” with these objects:

• Children/kids: Making them more independent or brave.
• Team/players: Preparing for sports or competitions.
• Soldiers/recruits: Training to endure harsh conditions.
• Employees/workers: Helping them handle stress or pressure.

These collocations help you use the phrase naturally in various situations.

Related Phrasal Verbs

Here are related phrasal verbs of toughen sb up:

• Toughen Sth Up

Real-life Dialogue

Here is a short conversation using “toughen sb up”:

Anna: My son is so sensitive to criticism.

Mike: Maybe you should toughen him up a bit. It helps kids handle challenges better.

Anna: You’re right. I’ll encourage him to try harder next time.

Practice

Try to complete the sentences with the correct form of “toughen sb up”:

• The coach _______ the players _______ before the tournament started.
• Parents often _______ their children _______ to prepare them for real life.
• She believes that difficult experiences can _______ you _______ emotionally.

FAQ

• What does “toughen sb up” mean?

  It means to make someone stronger or more resilient, especially emotionally or physically.

• Is “toughen sb up” formal or informal?

  It is mostly informal but can be used in semi-formal contexts.
• Can I use “toughen up” without an object?

  Yes, “toughen up” can be used alone to mean become stronger, but “toughen sb up” needs an object.

• What is the difference between “toughen up” and “toughen sb up”?

  “Toughen up” means to become tougher yourself; “toughen sb up” means making someone else tougher.
• Can “toughen sb up” be used for emotional strength?

  Yes, it often refers to building emotional resilience.