Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “untough” come from?

untough (English) comes from English tough, from English -ly, from English grisly, from Middle English grisely, from Old English grisliċ, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic *-līk.

untough (English): Not tough

Definitions

  1. Not tough

Ancestry of “untough”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtoughStrong and resilient; sturdy; Difficult to cut or...
2English-lyUsed to form adjectives from nouns, the...
3EnglishgrislyHorrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;...
4Middle Englishgrisely—
5Old Englishgrisliċgrisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid
6Old English-līċsuffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning...
7Proto-Germanic*-līk—
Every word from Proto-Germanic *-līk →