tough love

tough love
a mixture of toughness and warmth used in a relationship, esp. with an adolescent.
[1977; after Toughlove, a network of support groups]

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tough love noun
The practice of keeping a loved one who has an addiction on a strict regime of abstinence while at the same time showing them love, care, sympathy, etc
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Main Entry:tough

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tough love UK US noun [uncountable]
a strict but kind way of dealing with someone who has a problem
Thesaurus: strict and severesynonym friendliness, generosity and kindnesssynonym

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tough love or tough|love «TUHF LUHV», noun.
any of various means that seek to remedy a person's distress by seemingly unsympathetic attitudes or harsh actions: »

Gates was warned…that he was showing Scott too much understanding. Steve advised him [Gates] to practice…“tough love” (Frederic Dannen).

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n. promotion of a person's welfare, esp. that of an addict, child, or criminal, by enforcing certain constraints on them, or requiring them to take responsibility for their actions
a political policy designed to encourage self-help by restricting state benefits

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noun [noncount]
: love or concern that is expressed in a strict way especially to make someone behave responsibly

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ˌtough ˈlove 7 [tough love] noun uncountable
the fact of helping sb who has problems by dealing with them in a strict way because you believe it is good for them

While he may generally be a liberal parent, where drugs are concerned he believes in tough love.

There are occasions when only tough-love solutions will work.


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tough love — is an expression used when someone treats another person harshly or sternly with the intent to help them in the long run. In most uses, there must be some actual love or feeling of affection behind the harsh or stern treatment to be defined as… …   Wikipedia

  • tough|love — tough love or tough|love «TUHF LUHV», noun. any of various means that seek to remedy a person s distress by seemingly unsympathetic attitudes or harsh actions: »Gates was warned…that he was showing Scott too much understanding. Steve advised him… …   Useful english dictionary

  • tough love — UK US noun [U] HR ► a way of dealing with someone who has a problem in which you do not show a lot of kindness so that they try to solve it themselves: »His approach to management is often described as tough love or no nonsense …   Financial and business terms

  • tough love — noun uncount a strict but kind way of dealing with someone who has a problem …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • tough love — ☆ tough love n. [< TOUGHLOVE, a trademark for a program offering family counseling] a disciplinary technique, as for a young person or a loved one, in which a seemingly harsh or unfeeling course of action is chosen deliberately over one… …   English World dictionary

  • Tough Love — Este artículo o sección necesita referencias que aparezcan en una publicación acreditada, como revistas especializadas, monografías, prensa diaria o páginas de Internet fidedignas. Puedes añadirlas así o avisar …   Wikipedia Español

  • tough love — N UNCOUNT Tough love is the practice of being very strict with a relative or friend who has an addiction or other problem in order to help them overcome the problem. ...the activities of black communities in identifying their own law breaking… …   English dictionary

  • tough love — noun The compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures, to attempt to improve someones behavior. When it came to Latin Americas economic travails, Bush adhered to the principle of tough love: no more bailouts …   Wiktionary

  • tough love — mainly American a method of helping someone to change their behaviour by treating them in a very severe way. Tough love is the only approach to take towards a relative hooked on drugs …   New idioms dictionary

  • Tough love (disambiguation) — Tough love is a term used in behaviour modificationIt may also refer to: *Tough Love (band), Tribal Pop band based in London *Tough Love with Mick Molloy, Australian Radio program *Tough Love (Buffy episode), episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer… …   Wikipedia

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