rockyrock‧y /ˈrɒki $ ˈrɑːki/ ●○○ adjective 
a rocky cliff They hurried over the rough rocky ground.2informal a relationship or situation that is rocky is difficult and may not continue or be successful: Rangers got off to a rocky start this season. The company faces a rocky road ahead.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- The village sits on a rocky hill overlooking the Mediterranean.
- At the bottom end of the playing fields is a rocky outcrop.
- From Mount Ampenan, and over the rocky coastline and long golden beaches is a sight to behold.
- I sat on the rocky slope above Gay Acres, not wanting to stain my white shorts on the grass.
- Now the rocky, irregular moonscape was all around us.
- On the wall behind him there was a picture of a stag lowering its antlers on a rocky promontory beneath puffy clouds.
- Once the land round it was worked, but no one these days would break his back over soil so rocky and barren.
- The moon was so bright I could see a figure running flat out up into the rocky hills.
- We pass rocky beaches, secret inlets, muddy coves, dark hidden sea caves pounded by surf.
WORD SETS
backwater, nounbank, nounbank, verbbare, adjectivebarrier reef, nounbay, nounbayou, nounbeach, nounbeck, nounbelt, nounbillow, nounbiting, adjectivebitter, adjectiveblack ice, nounblast, nounblazing, adjectivebleach, verbblizzard, nounblow, verbblowy, adjectivebluff, nounbluster, verbblustery, adjectivebog, nounboiling, adjectiveboulder, nounbracing, adjectivebreaker, nounbreeze, nounbreezy, adjectivebrook, nounbrush, nounbrushwood, nounburn, nounbutte, nouncanyon, nouncascade, nouncataract, nouncave, nouncavern, nounchange, verbchasm, nounchoppy, adjectiveclap, nounclear, verbclement, adjectivecliff, nouncloud, nouncloudburst, nouncloudy, adjectivecoast, nouncoastal, adjectivecoastline, nouncone, nouncopse, nouncountry, nouncranny, nouncrater, nouncreation, nouncreep, verbcrisp, adjectivecrosswind, nouncumulus, nouncyclone, noundale, noundell, noundense, adjectivedew, noundewdrop, noundewfall, noundewy, adjectivedisgorge, verbdog days, noundownpour, noundownriver, adverbdownstream, adverbdownwind, adverbdrift, verbdrift, noundriftwood, noundrizzle, noundrop, verbdrop, noundrought, noundry, adjectivedry land, noundull, adjectivedune, nounduster, noundust storm, nouneast, adjectiveeddy, nounelectrical storm, nounequable, adjectiveeye, nounface, nounfail, verbfair, adjectivefall, nounfell, nounfen, nounfield, nounfierce, adjectivefiord, nounfirth, nounfjord, nounflood, verbflood, nounflood tide, nounflotsam, nounflow, nounflow, verbflower, nounflurry, nounfog, nounfogbound, adjectivefoggy, adjectivefoothill, nounfoothold, nounford, nounforeshore, nounforest, nounfoul, adjectivefreak, adjectivefreeze, nounfresh, adjectivefreshen, verbfreshwater, adjectivefrost, nounfury, noungale, noungale force, adjectivegap, noungentle, adjectivegeyser, nounglacial, adjectiveglen, noungnarled, adjectivegrassy, adjectivegreen, adjectivegreenery, nounground, nounground level, noungulley, noungully, noungust, noungust, verbgusty, adjectivehail, nounhailstone, nounhailstorm, nounhaze, nounheadwind, nounheath, nounheather, nounheat wave, nounhigh tide, nounhigh water, nounhill, nounhillock, nounhillside, nounhill station, nounhilly, adjectivehoarfrost, nounhot spring, nounhummock, nounhurricane, nounice, nouniceberg, nounice cap, nouninclement, adjectiveincline, nounIndian summer, nouninland, adjectiveinland, adverbinlet, nouninshore, adverbisland, nounisle, nounislet, nounjetsam, nounjungle, nounknoll, nounlake, nounlakeside, adjectiveledge, nounlightning, nounlip, nounloch, nounlough, nounlow tide, nounlow water, nounmarshland, nounmeadow, nounmere, nounmild, adjectivemillpond, nounmire, nounmist, nounmisty, adjectivemoan, verbmoan, nounmonsoon, nounmoonless, adjectivemoor, nounmoorland, nounMother Nature, nounmound, nounmountain, nounmountainous, adjectivemountainside, nounmountaintop, nounmouth, nounmudflat, nounmull, nounmurmur, verbmurmur, nounnarrows, nounnestle, verbnew moon, nounnook, nounnorth, adjectivenortheast, adjectivenortheaster, nounnortheasterly, adjectivenortherly, adjectivenorthwest, adjectivenorthwester, nounnorthwesterly, adjectivenotch, nounoasis, nounonshore, adjectiveooze, nounoutcrop, nounovercast, adjectiveozone, nounpack ice, nounpalisade, nounpanorama, nounparch, verbparched, adjectivepass, nounpatchy, adjectivepeak, nounpeal, nounpeasouper, nounpebble, nounpelt, verbpenumbra, nounperishing, adjectivepinewood, nounpinnacle, nounpitiless, adjectivepond, nounpour, verbprecipice, nounprospect, nounpuddle, nounquicksand, nounradiate, verbraging, adjectiverain, nounrainbow, nounrain drop, nounrainfall, nounrainstorm, nounrainwater, nounrainy, adjectiverange, nounrapids, nounrarefied, adjectiveravine, nounraw, adjectiverecede, verbreedy, adjectivereef, nounreservoir, nounridge, nounrift, nounrime, nounrise, verbrise, nounrock, nounrocky, adjectiveroll, verbrolling, adjectiverough, adjectiverural, adjectivescenery, nounscud, verbsea breeze, nounsea mist, nounset, verbshore, nounsky, nounslope, nounsludge, nounsnow, nounsnowbound, adjectivesnow-capped, adjectivesnowdrift, nounsnowfall, nounsnowflake, nounsnowstorm, nounsnowy, adjectivesouth, adjectivesoutheast, adjectivesoutheaster, nounsoutheasterly, adjectivesoutherly, adjectivesouthwest, adjectivesouthwesterly, adjectivespinney, nounspring, nounstream, nounsullen, adjectivesultry, adjectivesummer, nounsummit, nounsun, nounsundown, nounsun-drenched, adjectivesunrise, nounsunset, nounsunshine, nounswamp, nounsweep, verbswollen, adjectivetempestuous, adjectivethaw, verbthaw, nounthicket, nounthin, adjectivethunder, verbthunderbolt, nounthunderstorm, nounthundery, adjectivetide, nountreeless, adjectivetree-lined, adjectivetrough, nounturf, nountussock, nountwilight, nounvale, nounvalley, nounverdant, adjectivevisibility, nounvoid, nounwashout, nounwater, nounwatercourse, nounwaterfall, nounwaterside, nounwaterspout, nounwax, verbwest, adjectivewest, adverbwestbound, adjectivewesterly, adjectivewesternmost, adjectivewestward, adverbwet, adjectivewhirlpool, nounwhirlwind, nounwhite horses, nounwhitewater, nounwild, adjectivewill o' the wisp, nounwind, nounwindstorm, nounwindswept, adjectivewindy, adjectivewood, nounwooded, adjectivewoodland, nounwoodsy, adjectivewoody, adjectivezephyr, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY They hurried over the rough rocky ground. Rangers got off to a rocky start this season. The company faces a rocky road ahead.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1covered with rocks or made of rock: They hurried over the rough rocky ground. Rangers got off to a rocky start this season. The company faces a rocky road ahead. (=with large rocks on it)· They anchored the boat off a rocky beach.
· The forest stops where a rocky cliff falls to a saltwater lagoon.
· the rocky coast of Maine
· Our guide trod carefully down the rocky path.
· The Castle is situated on a rocky peak.
· The farmhouse is situated on a rocky slope.
(=a rather bad start)· After a shaky start, they managed two wins in five matches.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· High rocky cliffs pitted with little sandy coves melt away into long stretches of silvery beach.· Souls straight out of Hieronymus Bosch tumble down rocky cliffs to their doom.· Seapinks and samphire grow on the rocky cliffs.· Not a waterside bird, frequenting dry country and nesting on rocky cliffs and stream banks, sometimes on ruined buildings.· All around rolled wild heather-moors, overhung by rocky cliffs.· It was perched on a rocky cliff overlooking a stone path to the sea some 40 feet below.· This Grade 2 Listed Building is set in a rocky cliff face pointing out to sea a little way along the foreshore.
· At sea level we would have got a different picture as the man-eating breakers punched against the rocky coast.· It also bears a painting of a ship beating against a terrible storm off a rocky coast.· Certain stretches of beach are notorious for frequent strandings, but there are no records of strandings along rocky coasts.· A rocky coast, a scattering of wild islands.· The tanker, the Braer, crashed into the rocky coast in heavy seas and gale force winds.· The small harbours that line the rocky coast of Cothique hold many craft which double as warships in times of need.
· Many gardening businesses have hit rocky ground but Waterers expects to increase turnover from £4.8m to £6m in the year to July.· The seed falls on four different types of soil: the footpath, rocky ground, among thistles and on good soil.· Boots are the only sensible footgear for this expedition, which in places traverses rough and rocky ground.· On rocky ground the friction of rope over crests and round corners much reduces fall impacts.
· On the top of a steep rocky hill there appeared to be a fortress, with every window lit.· The moon was so bright I could see a figure running flat out up into the rocky hills.· Through fences and barb-wire, over the top of a rocky hill, and down into a hidden valley.· The west side of the 38 acres is surrounded by rocky hills and dusty trails that lead to nearby Lake Hodges.· They approach the first rocky hill and pause.
· About thirty kilometres south-east of St Abbs Head is a group of small rocky islands not far from the mainland.· Rare species like the roseate tern, which breeds on our rocky islands, are severely threatened in their wintering areas.· Their breeding colonies are mainly on headlands or rocky islands off West Falkland.
· The Park is a large area of open country with rocky outcrops, ancient buildings and a small river.· She found Wynne-Jones resting in the overhang of a rocky outcrop, exhausted, wretched, starving.· At the bottom end of the playing fields is a rocky outcrop.· One last rocky outcrop of headland; it seemed to take an age to round. the waves began to decrease.· Aboriginals still point to various rocky outcrops or sandstone gullies which trace the Myndie Snake's progress through the outback.· There were many rocky outcrops higher up, and here we found two more tern species nesting.· Circling a frozen pond, we made our way uphill to rocky outcrops.· This is truly wild country dotted with rocky outcrops and, even on a clear day, occasional compass checks are reassuring.
· On the wall behind him there was a picture of a stag lowering its antlers on a rocky promontory beneath puffy clouds.· At the far end a rocky promontory extended into deep water - a promising place for snorkelling.· A fisherman is silhouetted there, standing on a rocky promontory.
· Twelve years of mountaineering had prepared me well for the rocky road ahead-or so I hoped.
· This in turn compelled me to further investigate the fascinating world of rocky shores.· Miss Buechler is talking about the pilgrims coming to a rocky shore to spend a winter of hardship in the new land.· In the spring the clan chief's steward came ashore to find the last surviving woman on the rocky shore.· We make a beeline for the rocky shore.· Ranks of houses stretched away into the distance like waves breaking on a rocky shore, their slate roofs glistening.· The cliff sloped to a rocky shore where breakers thundered against the ledges about three hundred yards from where he was.· A rocky shore almost certainly provides a clearer echo than a sandy slope or mud flat.
· The farmhouse rests on a rocky slope and is surrounded by beech trees.· I sat on the rocky slope above Gay Acres, not wanting to stain my white shorts on the grass.· Its steep sides are thronged with Goblin strongholds and its rocky slopes overlay caves and tunnels that are riddled with evil creatures.· He was clearly uneasy as he peered down the rocky slope.· At the next junction turn left, descend the rocky slope and through a gate.· There were cracks in the walls and the steps up to the entrance had been reduced to an uneven and rocky slope.· To Maggie, though, the city was dominated by the superb cathedral and the rocky slopes of the mountains.· The trail traverses the steep, rocky slopes of Mulldonoch and continues above the valley of the Buchan Burn to Benyellary.
· A fuel shortage got the holiday season off to a rocky start, and promises to cause further problems this month.· Despite this happy event, the marriage seemingly got off to a rocky start.· The rocky start was caused by traders who thought they detected a whiff of inflation in the air.
· Three of the meteorites were found on rocky terrain where they may have fallen directly or been deposited by melted ice.· She writes long sentences without verbs, as if the rocky terrain inevitably makes action difficult.· This helps to avoid twisting an ankle when stalking these animals on the rocky terrain they favour.· We acquired our nickname, the Goats, in the Peninsular War when we proved our worth in rocky terrain.
a rocky cliff They hurried over the rough rocky ground.2informal a relationship or situation that is rocky is difficult and may not continue or be successful: Rangers got off to a rocky start this season. The company faces a rocky road ahead.