How do you say “Tough it out” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is tenir bon, which literally means “to hold firm”. English speakers use tough it out to mean to endure a difficult situation without giving up. A close match for not giving up under pressure. It can sound encouraging rather than stern. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
tenir bon
/təniʁ bɔ̃/
- Literal meaning
- “to hold firm”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Tiens bon” is something you might say to a tired friend who is nearly finished. For a group, use “Tenez bon”.
The phrase can also mean resisting pressure to change your decision. The surrounding sentence should show whether endurance or resistance is intended.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
The tent leaked, but we toughed it out until morning.
French
La tente prenait l'eau, mais nous avons tenu bon jusqu'au matin.
English
She disliked the course but decided to tough it out until June.
French
Elle n'aimait pas le cours, mais elle a décidé de tenir bon jusqu'en juin.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-04