phrase. If you say that someone is a tough cookie, you mean that they have a strong and determined character. [informal]

What does it mean you are a tough cookie?

: a person who is physically and emotionally strong Don't worry about her—she's a tough cookie.

Is tough cookie a compliment?

New Member. The term tough cookie has been used in the way I described it but I've also heard it used to describe someone who doesn't complain and is a survivor in the face of adversity, as in "The chemotherapy was really rough, but she is one tough cookie". In that case, it's a major compliment.