it too tough

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it too tough" is not correct in written English.
The correct form would be "it's too tough" or "it is too tough." Example: "I tried to lift the box, but it's too tough for me to handle."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

The lack of an overwhelming serve made it too tough to win easy points.

The New York Times - Sports

You just can't throw the ball every single down against these guys; they make it too tough".

The New York Times - Sports

I say this as a writer who started off by writing poems and quit because I found it too tough.

The New Yorker

You don't want to make it too tough on yourself, but the schedule is the schedule, and you want to play hockey.

The New York Times

Mr. Rudin acknowledged, after the Golden Globes snub, that "those who love it, love it passionately, and those who resist it find it too tough as an emotional experience".

The New York Times

Bonte began carving the chicken, saying, "Well, Steffens, what will you have, a piece of this old cock, Dr. Bonte or, is it too tough for any but a freshman?

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

If it's too tough, it won't go through the Lords.

The New York Times

"He'd say, 'I don't want you kids in show business, it's too tough,' like it was the most suffering thing," she mimics.

The New York Times

" 'Half of us think it's an R, the other half thinks it's too tough.' So I worked at it again and I brought it back again".

The New York Times

The mandatory leg padding is back for the first time since 1994, when it was dropped because it was too tough to enforce.

The New York Times - Sports

Whether it's negative because the Clinton people are upset that it's too tough on them or negative because the Republicans think it's this glorification of her.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the grammatically correct form, "it's too tough" or "it is too tough", in formal writing to maintain clarity and professionalism. Avoid omitting the apostrophe and verb "to be".

Common error

A frequent mistake is omitting the apostrophe and the verb "to be", resulting in the ungrammatical phrase "it too tough". Always include "'s" or "is" to ensure the sentence is grammatically correct. For example, instead of writing "the task it too tough", write "the task is too tough".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it too tough" functions as a subjective assessment of difficulty. Though grammatically incorrect, it attempts to express that something is excessively challenging. Ludwig AI marks this usage as non-standard, advising the use of grammatically correct alternatives.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

30%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "it too tough" is found in various sources, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect. The correct forms are "it's too tough" or "it is too tough". Although the phrase's meaning is clear—indicating something is excessively difficult—it's best to use grammatically correct alternatives in formal writing. The phrase appears most frequently in news and media contexts, often within direct quotations, but is less common in formal or academic writing. When expressing difficulty, consider using alternatives such as "it's too difficult" or "it's too challenging" to maintain grammatical accuracy and clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it's too difficult

Uses a more common and grammatically correct adjective ("difficult") instead of "tough".

it's too challenging

Replaces "tough" with "challenging", offering a slightly different nuance but similar meaning.

it's excessively difficult

Adds emphasis using "excessively" to highlight the high degree of difficulty.

it's overly complicated

Shifts the focus to complexity rather than general toughness.

it presents too many difficulties

Changes the structure to focus on the difficulties posed by something.

it is more than I can handle

Expresses the inability to cope with the level of difficulty.

it requires too much effort

Focuses on the amount of effort required, implying high difficulty.

it's beyond my capabilities

Indicates that something exceeds one's abilities or skills.

it is an insurmountable obstacle

Uses a more figurative expression to describe something as impossible to overcome.

it's a bridge too far

Employs an idiomatic expression to convey that something is beyond reach or possibility.

FAQs

How can I correctly use "it too tough" in a sentence?

The phrase "it too tough" is grammatically incorrect. The correct forms are "it's too tough" (contraction) or "it is too tough".

What does "it too tough" mean?

The intended meaning of "it too tough" is that something is excessively difficult or challenging. It's an informal way of saying "it's too difficult" or "it's too challenging".

Which is correct, "it too tough" or "it's too tough"?

"It too tough" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase is ""it's too tough"", which is a contraction of "it is too tough".

Are there formal alternatives to "it's too tough"?

Yes, you can use more formal alternatives such as "it is excessively difficult" or "it presents too many difficulties", depending on the context.