厉害 厲害 lì hai (used to describe sb or sth that makes a very strong impression, whether favorable or unfavorable) terrible / intense / severe / devastating / amazing / awesome / outstanding / (of a person) stern / strict / harsh / shrewd / tough / (of an animal) fierce / (of a resemblance) striking / (of liquor or chili pepper) strong / (of bacteria) virulent syn 凌厉 凌厲 líng lì swift and fierce / fierce / forceful syn 柔韧 柔韌 róu rèn pliable and tough / supple and strong / flexible syn 虎背熊腰 hǔ bèi xióng yāo back of a tiger and waist of a bear / tough and stocky build syn 熊腰虎背 xióng yāo hǔ bèi waist of a bear and back of a tiger / tough and stocky build 豺狼虎豹 chái láng hǔ bào jackals, wolves, tigers and panthers (idiom) / animals who are dangerous to man and cattle / fierce and cruel people syn 坚韧 堅韌 jiān rèn tough and durable / tenacious syn 牛皮 niú pí cowhide / leather / fig. flexible and tough / boasting / big talk syn 强韧 強韌 qiáng rèn resilient / tough and strong 劲草 勁草 jìng cǎo tough upright grass / (fig.) a staunch character who is loyal despite danger and hardship 勇猛 yǒng měng bold and powerful / brave and fierce syn 蛮悍 蠻悍 mán hàn rude and violent / fierce and reckless 辛苦 xīn kǔ exhausting / hard / tough / arduous / to work hard / to go to a lot of trouble / hardship(s) syn 强悍 強悍 qiáng hàn tough / strong / formidable / fearsome syn 强硬 強硬 qiáng yìng tough / unyielding / hard-line syn 难为 難為 nán wei to bother / to press sb, usu. to do sth / it's a tough job / sorry to bother you (polite, used to thank sb for a favor) syn 硬汉 硬漢 yìng hàn man of steel / unyielding, tough guy syn 彪悍 biāo hàn tough as nails / formidable / kick-ass / plucky 硬仗 yìng zhàng tough battle / difficult task / big challenge syn 逆水行舟 nì shuǐ xíng zhōu lit. navigating a boat against the current (idiom) / fig. in a tough environment (one needs to work hard) syn 老 lǎo prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity / old (of people) / venerable (person) / experienced / of long standing / always / all the time / of the past / very / outdated / (of meat etc) tough / unicode compatibility variant of 老 syn 力挫 lì cuò to win as a result of tenacious effort / to fight off tough competition syn 绢 絹 juàn thin, tough silk fabric 韧 韌 rèn annealed / pliable but strong / tough / tenacious syn 憨 hān silly / simple-minded / foolish / naive / sturdy / tough / heavy (of rope) syn 艮 gěn blunt / tough / chewy syn 出难题 出難題 chū nán tí to raise a tough question syn 来硬的 來硬的 lái yìng de to get tough / to use force 强硬立场 強硬立場 qiáng yìng lì chǎng tough position 患难见真情 患難見真情 huàn nàn jiàn zhēn qíng true sentiments are seen in hard times (idiom) / you see who your true friends are when you go through tough times together / you see who your true friends are when you are in difficulties 最牛 zuì niú tough as nails 命途坎坷 mìng tú kǎn kě to have a tough life / to meet much adversity in one's life 太妹 tài mèi girl delinquent / tomboy / schoolgirl tough 外刚内柔 外剛內柔 wài gāng nèi róu soft on the inside despite one's hard shell / appearing tough on the outside as to mask one's inner vulnerability / also written 內柔外剛|内柔外刚[nei4 rou2 wai4 gang1] 老天爷饿不死瞎家雀 老天爺餓不死瞎家雀 lǎo tiān yé è bù sǐ xiā jiā què lit. heaven won't let the sparrows go hungry (idiom) / fig. don't give up hope / if you tough it out, there will be light at the end of the tunnel 有本事 yǒu běn shi to have what it takes / (coll.) (often followed by 就[jiu4]) (used to challenge sb) if you're so clever, ..., if she's so tough, ... etc / Example: 有本事就打我[you3 ben3 shi5 jiu4 da3 wo3] Hit me if you dare! 硬骨头 硬骨頭 yìng gǔ tou resolute individual / a hard nut to crack / tough mission / difficult task syn 皮实 皮實 pí shi (of things) durable / (of people) sturdy / tough syn 遇强则强 遇強則強 yù qiáng zé qiáng tough adversaries make you stronger 点子扎手 點子扎手 diǎn zi zhā shǒu (coll.) one's adversary is very tough 凶狠 xiōng hěn cruel / vicious / fierce and malicious / vengeful syn 搏杀 搏殺 bó shā to fight and kill / to engage in fierce combat (also used figuratively of opposing chess players) syn 鹰派 鷹派 yīng pài hawk faction (opposite: 鴿派|鸽派[ge1 pai4], doves) / fierce and combative party / war party / warmongers 剽悍 piāo hàn swift and fierce syn 洪水猛兽 洪水猛獸 hóng shuǐ měng shòu lit. severe floods and fierce beasts (idiom) / fig. great scourges / extremely dangerous or threatening things syn 凶顽 兇頑 xiōng wán fierce and uncontrollable 恶狠 惡狠 è hěn fierce and vicious 狞恶可怖 獰惡可怖 níng è kě bù of fierce and terrifying appearance (idiom) 雄长 雄長 xióng zhǎng fierce and ambitious character / formidable person 刁悍 diāo hàn cunning and fierce syn 激烈 jī liè (of competition or fighting) intense / fierce / (of pain) acute / (of an expression of opinion) impassioned / vehement / (of a course of action) drastic / extreme syn 剧烈 劇烈 jù liè violent / acute / severe / fierce syn 猛烈 měng liè fierce / violent / vigorous / intense syn 激战 激戰 jī zhàn to fight fiercely / fierce battle syn 凶猛 兇猛 xiōng měng fierce / violent / ferocious syn 狰狞 猙獰 zhēng níng malevolent / fierce / sinister syn 恶狠狠 惡狠狠 è hěn hěn very fierce syn 猛虎 měng hǔ fierce tiger 武将 武將 wǔ jiàng general / military leader / fierce man syn 凶恶 凶惡 xiōng è variant of 兇惡|凶恶, fierce / ferocious / fiendish / frightening syn 猛兽 猛獸 měng shòu ferocious beast / fierce animal syn 猛将 猛將 měng jiàng fierce general / valiant military leader / fig. brave individual syn 恶战 惡戰 è zhàn hard fighting / fierce battle syn 恶斗 惡鬥 è dòu hard fighting / fierce battle 暴烈 bào liè violent / fierce syn 母老虎 mǔ lǎo hǔ tigress / (fig.) fierce woman / vixen 凶巴巴 xiōng bā bā harsh / savage / fierce 短兵相接 duǎn bīng xiāng jiē lit. short-weaponed soldiery fight one another (idiom) / fierce hand-to-hand infantry combat / to fight at close quarters syn 龙争虎斗 龍爭虎鬥 lóng zhēng hǔ dòu lit. the dragon wars, the tiger battles (idiom) / fierce battle between giants syn 横肉 橫肉 héng ròu fierce-looking 你争我夺 你爭我奪 nǐ zhēng wǒ duó lit. you fight, I snatch (idiom) / to compete fiercely offering no quarter / fierce rivalry / tug-of-war 色厉内荏 色厲內荏 sè lì nèi rěn lit. show strength while weak inside (idiom) / appearing fierce while cowardly at heart / a sheep in wolf's clothing 恶浪 惡浪 è làng violent wave / fierce billow / fig. depraved force 酷烈 kù liè intense / brutal / fierce syn 激 jī to arouse / to incite / to excite / to stimulate / sharp / fierce / violent syn 恶 惡 è evil / fierce / vicious / ugly / coarse / to harm syn 烈 liè ardent / intense / fierce / stern / upright / to give one's life for a noble cause / exploits / achievements syn 毒 dú poison / to poison / poisonous / malicious / cruel / fierce / narcotics syn 猛 měng ferocious / fierce / violent / brave / suddenly / abrupt / (slang) awesome syn 凶 xiōng vicious / fierce / ominous / inauspicious / famine / variant of 兇|凶[xiong1] syn 狠 hěn ruthless / fierce / ferocious / determined / resolute / to harden (one's heart) / old variant of 很[hen3] syn 狞 獰 níng fierce-looking 獠 liáo fierce / hunt / name of a tribe 鸷 鷙 zhì fierce / brutal / bird of prey 趮 zào easily provoked, hasty / fierce, cruel 犺 kàng fierce dog 㹴 gěng fierce dog 凶狂 兇狂 xiōng kuáng fierce / ferocious / savage syn 两虎相争 兩虎相爭 liǎng hǔ xiāng zhēng lit. two tigers fighting (idiom) / fig. fierce contest between evenly matched adversaries 凶惡 xiōng è variant of 兇惡|凶恶, fierce / ferocious / fiendish / frightening 威烈 wēi liè fierce / formidable 恶仗 惡仗 è zhàng hard fighting / fierce battle 恶凶凶 惡兇兇 è xiōng xiōng fierce 恶恶实实 惡惡實實 è è shí shí very fierce 熊罴 熊羆 xióng pí fierce fighters / valiant warriors 狠巴巴 hěn bā bā very fierce 罴虎 羆虎 pí hǔ fierce animals 駻 hàn (of horse) fierce / wild 虎起脸 虎起臉 hǔ qǐ liǎn to take a fierce look 