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 severe_synonym friendliness, generosity and kindness_synonym

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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

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

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