tough break
The idiom "tough break" is often used to describe unfortunate events or to offer mild sympathy for someone else's misfortune.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
B2General
(informal, idiomatic)An event or situation that results in misfortune or hardship.
Example
- Losing his job right before the holidays was a tough break for Tom.
- She had a tough break when she missed her flight due to traffic.
B2General
(informal, idiomatic)An expression of mild or insincere sympathy for someone's misfortune.
Example
- Tough break, buddy. Better luck next time!
- Oh, you didn't get the promotion? Tough break!
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "tough break":
tough luckhard lucktoo badtough nut to crackgive someone a breakbroken manbreak in