- having a surface that is not even or regular
- rough ground
- The skin on her hands was hard and rough.
- Trim rough edges with a sharp knife.
Extra Examples- The car is designed for travelling over rough ground.
- It has a slightly rough texture.
Definitions on the go
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- not exact; not including all details synonym approximate
- a rough calculation/estimate of the cost
- I've got a rough idea of where I want to go.
- There were about 20 people there, at a rough guess.
- a rough draft of a speech
- a rough sketch
Extra Examples- It's only a very rough guide.
- We only had his rather rough version of events.
- He gave us a rough estimate of how much the work would cost.
- I made a rough sketch of the inside of the church.
- not gentle or careful; violent
- This watch is not designed for rough treatment.
- They complained of rough handling by the guards.
- She doesn't like playing with the rough kids.
- Don't try any rough stuff with me!
- Things got a bit rough, and the police were called.
- You don't have to be so rough!
- One carer was sacked for being rough with a patient.
- where there is a lot of violence or crime
- the roughest neighbourhood in the city
- He had been brought up in a rough area of London.
WordfinderTopics Buildingsb2 - having large and dangerous waves; wild and with storms
- It was too rough to sail that night.
- We had a rough passage across to the island.
- They set sail in rough conditions.
- There's no way he could have swum ashore in such rough weather.
- There were rough seas in the area at that time.
- difficult and unpleasant synonym tough
- He's had a really rough time recently (= he's had a lot of problems).
- We'll get someone in to do the rough work (= the hard physical work).
- You two are obviously going through a rough patch right now.
Extra Examples- You had to stand in the train all night?—That's a bit rough.
- Life was rough on the streets.
- (British English) not feeling well
- You look rough—are you OK?
- I had a rough night (= I didn't sleep well).
- I'm still feeling a bit rough.
- simply made and not finished in every detail; plain or basic
- rough wooden tables
- a rough track
- (British English) rough paper for making notes on
- not smooth or pleasant to taste, listen to, etc.
- a rough wine/voice
Extra Examples- Her voice was rough with emotion.
- ‘I suppose you expect me to apologize for this,’ he said in a rough voice.
not smooth
not exact
violent
sea/weather
difficult
not well
plain/basic
not smooth
Word OriginOld English rūh, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch ruw and German rauh.
Idioms
See rough in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee rough in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishhave a rough/an easy ride | give somebody a rough/an easy ride
- (informal) to experience/not experience difficulties when you are doing something; to make things difficult/easy for somebody
- He will be given a rough ride at the party conference.
- The new teacher was given a rough ride by the class.
have a rough ride | give somebody a rough ride
- (informal) to experience difficulties when you are doing something; to make things difficult for somebody
- He will be given a rough ride at the party conference.
a rough deal
- the fact of being treated unfairly
(have some) rough edges | be rough around the edges
- (to have some) small parts, for example in a performance or in your character, that are not yet as good as they should be
- The ballet still had some rough edges.
- He had a few rough edges knocked off at school.
- The films are very rough around the edges.
the rough end of the pineapple
- (Australian English, informal) a situation in which somebody is treated badly or unfairly
Check pronunciation:
rough