0 the fact of deliberately not showing too much kindness to a person who has a problem so that the person will start to solve their own problem --
1 a way of dealing with someone who has a problem in which you do not show a lot of kindness so that they try to solve it themselves: --
His parents reportedly visited him and gave him a tough love ultimatum regarding his drug use.
In most uses, there must be some actual love or feeling of affection behind the harsh or stern treatment to be defined as tough love.
In contrast, the strict father family revolves around the idea that parents teach their children how to be self-reliant and self-disciplined through tough love.
The same tough love approach is directed at men this time, following the same basic principles.
She practices a tough love on her younger sisters.
His reason for doing this, was that he was showing his son, tough love.
In week three, the tough love treatment produces some unexpected results.
In improving a mid-level basketball program, he stressed work ethic, used tough love, and tried to improve the players' vocabulary.
