Something that is very difficult to do: “I managed to get through with it, but it was ________.”
| TOUGH | 146 |
| HARD | 134 |
| TOUGH GOING | 93 |
| JOB | 59 |
| ROUGH | 39 |
| TOUGH SLEDDING | 39 |
| HARD JOB | 37 |
| CHORE | 31 |
| HARD WORK | 26 |
| TOUGH JOB | 25 |
| NOT EASY | 24 |
| UPHILL FIGHT | 21 |
| NR | 20 |
| TOUCH AND GO | 18 |
| PLENTY TOUGH | 17 |
| QUITE A JOB | 17 |
| STRUGGLE | 17 |
| HARD TO DO | 16 |
| PRETTY RUGGED | 15 |
| TOUCH AND GO ALL THE WAY | 15 |
| TASK | 14 |
| QUITE A TASK | 13 |
| DIFFICULT | 12 |
| HARD GOING | 12 |
| ROUGH GOING | 12 |
| TEDIOUS | 11 |
| VERY HARD | 11 |
| PRETTY TOUGH | 10 |
| HEADACHE | 9 |
| PRETTY HARD | 9 |
| HUMDINGER | 8 |
| REAL JOB | 8 |
| UPHILL ALL THE WAY | 8 |
| BITCH | 7 |
| HARD TASK | 7 |
| PAIN IN THE NECK | 7 |
| PROBLEM | 7 |
| QUITE A CHORE | 7 |
| MIGHTY HARD | 6 |
| PRETTY ROUGH | 6 |
| REAL CHORE | 6 |
| REALLY TOUGH | 6 |
| SOME JOB | 6 |
| TERRIBLE | 6 |
| BIG JOB | 5 |
| HELL | 5 |
| HELL OF A JOB | 5 |
| MURDER | 5 |
| NIP AND TUCK | 5 |
| PAIN | 5 |
| REALLY HARD | 5 |
| ALL I COULD DO | 4 |
| AWFULLY HARD | 4 |
| HARD SLEDDING | 4 |
| REAL HARD | 4 |
| ROUGH SLEDDING | 4 |
| TRYING | 4 |
| AN UPHILL FIGHT | 3 |
| BY THE SKIN OF MY TEETH | 3 |
| DILLY | 3 |
| DOOZY | 3 |
| EFFORT | 3 |
| HARD NUT TO CRACK | 3 |
| HECK OF A JOB | 3 |
| HECTIC | 3 |
| KILLER | 3 |
| LIKE PULLING TEETH | 3 |
| PILL | 3 |
| QUITE A PROBLEM | 3 |
| SURE A JOB | 3 |
| SURE HARD | 3 |
| SURE TOUGH | 3 |
| TOUGH GO | 3 |
| TOUGH ROW TO HOE | 3 |
| TRICKY | 3 |
| UPHILL DRAG | 3 |
| VERY DIFFICULT | 3 |
| ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE | 2 |
| AWFUL HARD | 2 |
| AWFUL JOB | 2 |
| BUGGER | 2 |
| COMPLICATED | 2 |
| DIFFICULT TO DO | 2 |
| HARD AS HELL | 2 |
| HARD ONE | 2 |
| HARD PULL | 2 |
| HARD ROW TO HOE | 2 |
| IMPOSSIBLE | 2 |
| JONER | 2 |
| LABORIOUS | 2 |
| ORDEAL | 2 |
| PLENTY RUGGED | 2 |
| REAL HEADACHE | 2 |
| REAL TASK | 2 |
| REALLY A JOB | 2 |
| REALLY ROUGH | 2 |
| RUGGED | 2 |
| SLEDDING | 2 |
| STINKER | 2 |
| SURE A CHORE | 2 |
| SURE ROUGH | 2 |
| TERRIBLE CHORE | 2 |
| TERRIFIC | 2 |
| TIRESOME | 2 |
| TOUGH FIGHT | 2 |
| TOUGH ONE | 2 |
| TOUGHIE | 2 |
| TRIAL | 2 |
| UPHILL | 2 |
| UPHILL BATTLE | 2 |
| UPHILL BUSINESS | 2 |
| UPHILL GRIND | 2 |
| UPHILL JOB | 2 |
| UPHILL WORK | 2 |
| ABOUT BUSHED ME | 1 |
| ALL UPHILL | 1 |
| ALMOST GOT ME DOWN | 1 |
| ALMOST MORE THAN I COULD MUSTER | 1 |
| ALMOST MORE THAN LIFE’S WORTH | 1 |
| ALMOST THE END OF ME | 1 |
| ALMOST TOO MUCH FOR ME | 1 |
| AN EXTREME ORDEAL | 1 |
| AN UPHILL CHORE | 1 |
| AN UPHILL DRAG | 1 |
| AN UPHILL DRIVE | 1 |
| ARDUOUS | 1 |
| AWFUL | 1 |
| AWFUL GRIND | 1 |
| AWFUL STRAIN | 1 |
| AWFUL TIGHT | 1 |
| AWFULLY TOUGH | 1 |
| AWKWARD | 1 |
| BACKBREAKER | 1 |
| BACKBREAKING | 1 |
| BAD BUSINESS | 1 |
| BAD WORK | 1 |
| BEDLAM | 1 |
| BIRD | 1 |
| BITCH OF A JOB | 1 |
| BITCH-TAILED KITTY | 1 |
| BORE | 1 |
| BRAIN-TEASER | 1 |
| BURDEN | 1 |
| CERTAINLY HARD | 1 |
| CERTAINLY TEDIOUS | 1 |
| CHALLENGE | 1 |
| CLIFF-HANGER | 1 |
| CONUNDRUM | 1 |
| CORKER | 1 |
| DAMN ROUGH | 1 |
| DICKENS | 1 |
| DICKENS OF A JOB | 1 |
| DIFFICULT TASK | 1 |
| DIFFICULT WORK | 1 |
| DIFICIL | 1 |
| DITTY | 1 |
| DRAG | 1 |
| DRUDGERY | 1 |
| EXHAUSTING | 1 |
| FIGHT ALL THE WAY | 1 |
| FORMIDABLE | 1 |
| GRIND | 1 |
| HARD AS NAILS | 1 |
| HARD AS OLD NICK | 1 |
| HARD AS THE DEUCE | 1 |
| HARD AS THE DEVIL | 1 |
| HARD AS THE DICKENS | 1 |
| HARD FOR ME | 1 |
| HARD GRIND | 1 |
| HARD HILL TO CLIMB | 1 |
| HARD TIME | 1 |
| HARD TO ACCOMPLISH | 1 |
| HARD TO GET TO | 1 |
| HARD TO HANDLE | 1 |
| HARD TO TAKE | 1 |
| HARD TRIAL | 1 |
| HARD TUG | 1 |
| HARDEST THING I’VE TRIED | 1 |
| HASSLE | 1 |
| HECK | 1 |
| HELL ON WHEELS | 1 |
| I CONQUERED IT | 1 |
| INCREDIBLE | 1 |
| JOB TO DO IT | 1 |
| JOB TO GET IT DID | 1 |
| JONAH | 1 |
| JUST MADE IT WITH NOTHING TO SPARE | 1 |
| KNOCKOUT | 1 |
| LALAPALOOZER | 1 |
| LITTLE ROUGH | 1 |
| LULU | 1 |
| NAIL-BITER | 1 |
| NERVE-RACKING | 1 |
| NIGH ON TO IMPOSSIBLE | 1 |
| NO EASY MATTER | 1 |
| NOT SO EASY | 1 |
| NOT SO EASY AS I THOUGHT | 1 |
| NUISANCE | 1 |
| ONE HELL OF A JOB | 1 |
| ONE JOB | 1 |
| PAIN IN THE ASS | 1 |
| PAINFUL | 1 |
| PAINSTAKING | 1 |
| PICKLE | 1 |
| PIPPIN’ | 1 |
| PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE | 1 |
| PRETTY | 1 |
| PRETTY AWFUL | 1 |
| PRETTY DIFFICULT | 1 |
| PRETTY DIFFICULT JOB | 1 |
| PRETTY HARD TO DO | 1 |
| PRETTY NASTY | 1 |
| PRETTY TRICKY | 1 |
| PROJECT | 1 |
| PULLING TEETH OUT OF A HEN’S NEST | 1 |
| PUZZLE | 1 |
| QUITE A MESS | 1 |
| QUITE A PROJECT | 1 |
| QUITE A PULL | 1 |
| QUITE A TUSSLE | 1 |
| QUITE HARD | 1 |
| REAL BEAR | 1 |
| REAL BURDEN | 1 |
| REAL DOG | 1 |
| REAL EFFORT | 1 |
| REAL HARDSHIP | 1 |
| REAL HURDLE TO GET OVER | 1 |
| REAL JONAH | 1 |
| REAL PAIN | 1 |
| REAL PISTOL | 1 |
| REAL ROUGH | 1 |
| REAL STRUGGLE | 1 |
| REAL TEST | 1 |
| REAL TOUGH | 1 |
| REAL WINNER | 1 |
| REALLY A CHORE | 1 |
| REALLY A PAIN | 1 |
| REALLY COMPLICATED | 1 |
| REALLY SOMETHING | 1 |
| ROUGH AS A BOAR’S ASS | 1 |
| ROUGH DEAL | 1 |
| ROUGH GO | 1 |
| “ROUGH, BUT I MADE IT” | 1 |
| RUGGED JOB | 1 |
| SHO’ WAS HARD | 1 |
| SIEGE | 1 |
| SLOW BUSINESS | 1 |
| SO DIFFICULT | 1 |
| SO HARD | 1 |
| SOME CHORE | 1 |
| SOMETHING | 1 |
| SON-OF-A-BITCH | 1 |
| SON-OF-A-GUN | 1 |
| STICKY | 1 |
| STRAIN | 1 |
| STUBBORN | 1 |
| SURE ROUGH ON ME | 1 |
| SWEAT | 1 |
| SWEATIN’ TIME | 1 |
| TASK FOR ME | 1 |
| TEASER | 1 |
| TERRIBLE JOB | 1 |
| TERRIBLY A LOT OF WORK | 1 |
| TERRIFIC JOB | 1 |
| TEST OF STRENGTH | 1 |
| TIED UP WITH A LOG CHAIN | 1 |
| TIGHT SQUEEZE | 1 |
| TIRESOME JOB | 1 |
| TOO MUCH FOR ME | 1 |
| TOO MUCH OF A JOB | 1 |
| TOOK A LOT OF TIME | 1 |
| TOOK A LOT OF WORK | 1 |
| TOOK ALL I HAD | 1 |
| TOOK ALL THE STUFF | 1 |
| TOOK SOME EFFORT | 1 |
| TOSS-UP | 1 |
| TOUGH AS A BOOT | 1 |
| TOUGH AS HELL | 1 |
| TOUGH AS NAILS | 1 |
| TOUGH ASSIGNMENT | 1 |
| TOUGH CHORE | 1 |
| TOUGH CLIMB | 1 |
| TOUGH GO OF IT | 1 |
| TOUGH GRIND | 1 |
| TOUGH KNOT | 1 |
| TOUGH NUT TO CRACK | 1 |
| TOUGH ON ME | 1 |
| TOUGH PROJECT | 1 |
| TOUGH PROPOSITION | 1 |
| TOUGH PULL | 1 |
| TOUGH SCUFFLING | 1 |
| TOUGH STRUGGLE | 1 |
| TOUGH TASK | 1 |
| TOUGH TIME | 1 |
| TOUGH TITTY | 1 |
| TUSSLE | 1 |
| TUSSLE ALL THE WAY | 1 |
| UNDERTAKING | 1 |
| UNHANDY | 1 |
| UPHILL CLIMB | 1 |
| UPHILL PULL | 1 |
| UPHILL RUN | 1 |
| VERY COMPLICATED | 1 |
| VERY DIFFICULT TO DO | 1 |
| VERY HARD FOR ME | 1 |
| VERY HARD JOB | 1 |
| VERY HARD WORK | 1 |
| WASN’T A PIECE OF CAKE | 1 |
| WASN’T ANY FUN | 1 |
| WASN’T EASY | 1 |
| WHALE OF A JOB | 1 |
| WORKOUT | 1 |
DARE Data Summary by Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.