Antonyms for tough nut to crack
Grammar : Adj, noun |
Spell : nuht |
Phonetic Transcription : nÊŒt |
Definition of tough nut to crack
Origin :- "hard seed," Old English hnutu, from Proto-Germanic *khnut- (cf. Old Norse hnot, Dutch noot, Old High German hnuz, German nuß "nut"), from PIE *kneu- "nut" (cf. Latin nux; see nucleus). Sense of "testicle" is attested from 1915. Nut-brown is from c.1300 of animals; c.1500 of complexions of women.
- Meaning "crazy person, crank" is attested from 1903, (British form nutter first attested 1958; nut-case is from 1959); see nuts. American English slang sense of "amount of money required for something" is first recorded 1912. The nut that goes onto a bolt is first recorded 1610s (used of other small mechanical pieces since early 15c.). Nuts and bolts "fundamentals" is from 1960.
- As in obdurate : adj pigheaded, stubborn
- As in rigid : adj stiff, strict, severe
- As in mystery : noun puzzle, secret
- As in riddle : noun brain-teaser
- As in perplexity : noun mystery
- As in puzzler : noun mystery
- As in enigma : noun mystery
Synonyms for tough nut to crack
- abstruseness
- adamant
- adamantine
- austere
- bewilderment
- brain-twister
- brainteaser
- braintwister
- bullhead
- bullheaded
- callous
- changeless
- charade
- chiller
- chiseled
- cliffhanger
- closed book
- cold fish
- complexity
- complication
- confusion
- conundrum
- crux
- cryptogram
- dead set
- definite
- determined
- difficulty
- dilemma
- distraction
- dogged
- doubt
- embarrassment
- enigma
- entanglement
- exact
- firm
- fixed
- Gordian knot
- grabber
- hanging tough
- hard
- hard-boiled
- hard-hearted
- hard-line
- hard-nosed
- harsh
- heartless
- immovable
- implacable
- incompliant
- indurate
- inelastic
- inexorable
- inflexible
- inscrutability
- inscrutableness
- intransigent
- intricacy
- invariable
- iron
- knot
- knotty question
- labyrinth
- locked in
- maze
- mean
- mind-boggler
- mind-twister
- mindboggler
- mulish
- mystery
- mystification
- obdurate
- obstinate
- occult
- oracle
- parable
- perplexity
- perverse
- plight
- poser
- predicament
- problem
- puzzle
- puzzlement
- puzzler
- quandary
- question
- question mark
- rebus
- relentless
- riddle
- rigid
- rigorous
- rune
- secrecy
- secret
- set
- set in stone
- single-minded
- sixty-four dollar question
- sixty-four-thousand-dollar question
- solid
- sphinx
- static
- stern
- sticker
- stickler
- stiff-necked
- strait
- strait-laced
- stringent
- stumper
- subtlety
- teaser
- thick-skinned
- thriller
- tough
- tough nut to crack
- tough proposition
- twister
- unalterable
- unbending
- unbreakable
- unchanging
- uncompassionate
- uncompromising
- uncooperative
- undeviating
- unemotional
- unfeeling
- unimpressible
- unmoving
- unpermissive
- unrelenting
- unshakable
- unsympathetic
- unyielding
- whodunit
- why
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019