Word forms: comparative rougher, superlative roughest, 3rd person singular presenttense roughs, present participle roughing, past tense, past participle roughed
1. adjective
If a surface is rough, it is uneven and not smooth.
His hands were rough and calloused, from years of karate practice.
Grace made her way slowly across the rough ground.
Synonyms: uneven, broken, rocky, rugged More Synonyms of rough
roughnessuncountable noun
She rested her cheek against the roughness of his jacket. [+ of]
2. adjective
You say that people or their actions are rough when they use too much force and not enough care or gentleness.
Rugby's a rough game at the best of times.
They have complained of discrimination and occasional rough treatment.
Synonyms: boisterous, hard, tough, aggressive More Synonyms of rough
roughlyadverb
A hand roughly pushed him aside.
Synonyms: forcefully, abruptly, violently, aggressively More Synonyms of rough
roughnessuncountable noun
He regretted his roughness.
3. adjective
A rough area, city, school, or other place is unpleasant and dangerous because there is a lot of violence or crime there.
It was quite a rough part of our town.
4. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If you say that someone has had a rough time, you mean that they have had some difficult or unpleasant experiences.
All women have a rough time in our society.
Tomorrow, he knew, would be a rough day.
Synonyms: unpleasant, hard, difficult, tough More Synonyms of rough
5. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If you feel rough, you feel ill.
[British, informal]
The virus won't go away and the lad is still feeling a bit rough.
Synonyms: unwell, poorly [informal], ill, upset More Synonyms of rough
6. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A rough calculation or guess is approximately correct, but not exact.
We were only able to make a rough estimate of how much fuel would be required.
As a rough guide, a horse needs 2.5 per cent of his body weight in food every day.
Synonyms: approximate, estimated, vague, ballpark More Synonyms of rough
roughlyadverb
Gambling and tourism pay roughly half the entire state budget.
The Ukraine is roughly equal to France in size and population.
...a period of very roughly 30 million years.
Synonyms: approximately, about, around, close to More Synonyms of rough
7. adjective
If you give someone a rough idea, description, or drawing of something, you indicate only the most important features, withoutmuch detail.
I've got a rough idea of what he looks like.
It often helps to make a rough sketch showing where the vehicles were.
Synonyms: vague, general, sketchy, imprecise More Synonyms of rough
roughlyadverb [ADVERB after verb]
He knew roughly what was about to be said.
Roughly speaking, a scientific humanist is somebody who believes in science and inhumanity but not in God.
8. adjective
You can say that something is rough when it is not neat and well made.
...a rough wooden table.
...chairs set in a rough circle in the middle of the room.
Synonyms: rough-hewn, crude, uncut, unpolished More Synonyms of rough
roughlyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the casserole.
...houses, roughly painted white or blue.
9. adjective
If the sea or the weather at sea is rough, the weather is windy or stormy and there are very big waves.
A fishing vessel and a cargo ship collided in rough seas.
10.
See to sleep rough
11. verb
If you have to rough it, you have to live without the possessions and comforts that you normally have.
You won't be roughing it; each room comes equipped with a telephone and a 3-channelradio. [VERBit]
12. rough justice
Phrasal verbs:
See rough out
See rough up
More Synonyms of rough
rough in British English
(rʌf)
adjective
1.
(of a surface) not smooth; uneven or irregular
2.
(of ground) covered with scrub, boulders, etc
3.
denoting or taking place on uncultivated ground
rough grazing
rough shooting
4.
shaggy or hairy
5.
turbulent; agitated
a rough sea
6.
(of the performance or motion of something) uneven; irregular
a rough engine
7.
(of behaviour or character) rude, coarse, ill mannered, inconsiderate, or violent
8.
harsh or sharp
rough words
9. informal
severe or unpleasant
a rough lesson
10.
(of work, a task, etc) requiring physical rather than mental effort
11. informal
ill or physically upset
he felt rough after a late night
12.
unfair or unjust
rough luck
13.
harsh or grating to the ear
14.
harsh to the taste
15.
without refinement, luxury, etc
16.
not polished or perfected in any detail; rudimentary; not elaborate
rough workmanship
rough justice
17.
not prepared or dressed
rough gemstones
18.
(of a guess, estimate, etc) approximate
19. Australian informal
(of a chance) not good
20.
having the sound of h; aspirated
21. rough on
22. the rough side of one's tongue
noun
23.
rough ground
24.
a sketch or preliminary piece of artwork
25.
an unfinished or crude state (esp in the phrase in the rough)
26. the rough
27. tennis, squash, badminton
the side of a racket on which the binding strings form an uneven line
28. informal
a rough or violent person; thug
29.
the unpleasant side of something (esp in the phrase take the rough with the smooth)
adverb
30.
in a rough manner; roughly
31. sleep rough
verb
32. (transitive)
to make rough; roughen
33. (tr; foll by out, in, etc)
to prepare (a sketch, report, piece of work, etc) in preliminary form
34. rough it
Derived forms
roughness (ˈroughness)
noun
Word origin
Old English rūh; related to Old Norse ruksa, Middle Dutch rūge, rūwe, German rauh
rough in American English
(rʌf)
adjective
1.
a.
not smooth or level; having bumps, projections, etc.; uneven
a rough surface
b.
not easily traveled over or through because rocky, overgrown, wild, etc.
rough country
2.
shaggy or bristly
an animal with a rough coat
3.
characterized by violent action, motion, agitation, disturbance, or irregularity
; specif.,
a.
stormy; tempestuous
rough weather
b.
boisterous or disorderly
rough play
4.
harsh, rude, brutal, etc.; not gentle or mild
a rough temper
5.
sounding harsh; discordant; jarring
6.
tasting harsh or astringent
rough wine
7.
coarse, as texture, cloth, food, etc.
8.
coarse in manner, tastes, etc.; lacking refinement or culture
rough men, rough language
9.
lacking refinements, comforts, and conveniences
the rough life of a pioneer
10.
not refined, polished, or prepared; natural, crude, etc.
a rough diamond
11.
not finished, elaborated, perfected, etc.
a rough sketch
12.
not worked out in detail; without claim to be exact or complete; approximate
a rough estimate
13.
requiring muscular energy rather than skill or intelligence
rough labor
14. Informal
difficult, severe, or disagreeable
a rough time
15. Phonetics
articulated with an aspirate; having the sound (h)
noun
16.
rough ground
17.
rough material or condition
18.
the rough part, aspect, etc. of something
19. US
a rough sketch or draft
20. Chiefly British
a rough person; rowdy; tough
21. Golf
any part of the course where grass, weeds, etc. are allowed to grow, uncut, forming a hazard or obstacle
adverb
22.
in a rough manner; roughly
23. British
without shelter; outdoors
to sleep rough
verb transitive
24.
to make rough; roughen
often with up
25.
a.
to handle or treat roughly or brutally
usually with up
b. American Football Etc
to subject (an opponent) to intentional and unnecessary roughness
26.
to make, fashion, sketch, shape, or cut roughly
usually with in or out
to rough out a scheme
27.
to apply some preparatory or preliminary process or treatment to
verb intransitive
28. Rare
to become rough
29.
to behave roughly
a penalty for roughing
Idioms:
in the rough
rough it
Derived forms
roughish (ˈroughish)
adjective
roughly (ˈroughly)
adverb
roughness (ˈroughness)
noun
Word origin
ME ruh, rugh < OE ruh, akin to Ger rauh < IE *reuk < base *reu-, to tear, tear out (> rug, rotten): prob. basic sense “hairy, woolly”
More idioms containing
rough
rough edges
a rough diamond
a rough ride
cut up rough
rough and ready
rough and tumble
take the rough with the smooth
give someone the rough side of your tongue
Examples of 'rough' in a sentence
rough
The men may like to play rough games with it while the women do not.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It feels rough and so it should.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It set the tempo for a game of much magic and rough violence.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We will effectively end rough sleeping within our first term in government.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That was an overnight trip across cold and rough seas.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But it is a bit unsettled on rough roads.
The Sun (2016)
There was almost always a woman with an angelic voice on his songs, to balance out his own rough masculine sound.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I felt sorry for her - she went through a really rough time.
The Sun (2016)
We've learned to take the rough with the smooth - this is the life we chose.
The Sun (2016)
This research would not have been contested in the past, when tattoos were confined to rough, tough men.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is a rough and tough agenda.
Piercy, Nigel Market-led Strategic Change (1991)
This adds to friction and makes hair feel rougher.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Which should give you a rough idea of the price.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Recently released prisoners often end up sleeping rough.
Alexander Masters STUART: A Life Backwards (2005)
Something rough and hairy pressed against his lips.
Tepper, Sheri S. A Plague of Angels (1993)
We have rough seas and a tough environment.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It feels solid and safe and going over rough ground is tons of fun.
The Sun (2015)
When you are playing from the rough make sure that you do know where you are going.
The actor admits he has a secret desire for a much rougher part.
The Sun (2009)
They should take the rough with the smooth.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They played a little rougher and a little better than us.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We were there three weeks and had a rough time of it.
The Sun (2010)
The first two weeks were a bit rough.
Stewart, Dr Alan & Stewart, Maryon The Vitality Diet (1990)
He said the big four all knew they were in for a rough ride.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Sometimes she was housed by friends and sometimes she slept rough in fields and public parks.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Tens of thousands of people spent last night sleeping rough.
The Sun (2008)
That concludes the rough sketch of the terrain; now begins the journey.
Dylan Evans PLACEBO: The Belief Effect (2003)
There's no massive hills and the swim won't be rough.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It might sound a bit rough, but I loved it.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
rough
British English: rough /rʌf/ ADJECTIVE
not smooth If something is rough, it is not smooth or even.
His hands were rough.
American English: rough
Arabic: خَشِن
Brazilian Portuguese: áspero
Chinese: 粗糙的
Croatian: grub
Czech: hrubý
Danish: grov
Dutch: ruw
European Spanish: áspero
Finnish: karkea käytös ym.
French: rugueux
German: uneben
Greek: τραχύς
Italian: grossolano
Japanese: 粗い
Korean: 거친
Norwegian: ru
Polish: szorstki
European Portuguese: áspero
Romanian: aspru
Russian: грубый
Latin American Spanish: áspero
Swedish: grov ojämn
Thai: หยาบ
Turkish: kaba aceleyle yapılmış
Ukrainian: шорсткий
Vietnamese: ráp thô
British English: rough /rʌf/ ADJECTIVE
not gentle If you are rough, you are not being careful or gentle.
Don't be so rough or you'll break it.
American English: rough
Arabic: غَيْرُ لَطِيف
Brazilian Portuguese: bruto
Chinese: 粗鲁的
Croatian: grub
Czech: hrubýnepozorný
Danish: brutal
Dutch: ruw
European Spanish: brusco
Finnish: kovakourainen
French: brute
German: grob
Greek: τραχύς
Italian: rude
Japanese: 手荒な
Korean: 거친
Norwegian: hardhendt
Polish: brutalny
European Portuguese: rude
Romanian: brutal
Russian: грубый
Latin American Spanish: brusco
Swedish: hårdhänt
Thai: รุนแรง
Turkish: kaba
Ukrainian: неввічливий
Vietnamese: thô lỗ
All related terms of 'rough'
rough-cut
a first edited version of a film with the scenes in sequence and the soundtrack synchronized
rough-dry
(of clothes or linen ) dried ready for pressing
rough-hew
to cut or hew ( timber , stone , etc) roughly without finishing the surface
rough it
to live without the usual comforts or conveniences of life
rough on
severe towards
rough out
If you rough out a drawing or an idea, you draw or write the main features of it before you do it in detail .
rough sea
The sea is the salty water that covers about three-quarters of the Earth's surface.
rough up
If someone roughs you up , they attack you and hit or beat you.
the rough
the part of the course bordering the fairways where the grass is untrimmed
rough copy
a preliminary version of an essay , letter, book, or speech
rough draft
a preliminary version of an essay , letter , book , or speech
rough-dried
(of clothes or linen ) dried ready for pressing
rough-dries
(of clothes or linen ) dried ready for pressing
rough edges
If you say that a person or a piece of entertainment has rough edges , you mean that they have some small faults , although generally you approve of them.
rough fish
a fish that is neither a sport fish nor useful as food or bait for sport fish
rough-hewn
Rough-hewn wood or stone has been cut into a shape but has not yet been smoothed or finished off.
rough music
(formerly) a loud cacophony created with tin pans , drums , etc, esp as a protest or demonstration of indignation outside someone's house
rough paper
paper that is used for writing a rough copy
rough road
A road is a long piece of hard ground which is built between two places so that people can drive or ride easily from one place to the other.
rough spin
hard or unfair treatment
rough stuff
violence
rough trade
(in homosexual use) a tough or violent sexual partner , esp a lorry driver , construction worker, or docker , casually picked up
rough work
a preliminary work in preparation for a sketch , report , piece of work, etc
sleep rough
to spend the night in the open ; be without a home or without shelter
tommy rough
a small food fish of the family Arripididae , found in southern and western Australian waters
rough collie
a large long-haired collie having a distinctive ruff and a long narrow head without a pronounced stop
rough diamond
an unpolished diamond
rough justice
If you describe someone's treatment or punishment as rough justice , you mean that it is not given according to the law.
rough passage
a stormy sea journey
rough sleeper
a homeless person who sleeps rough
rough-spoken
rude or uncouth in speech; blunt
rough terrain
Terrain is used to refer to an area of land or a type of land when you are considering its physical features.
a rough ride
If you say that someone faces a rough ride , you mean that things are going to be difficult for them because people will criticize them a lot or treat them badly .
cut up rough
to suddenly become extremely angry or violent
in the rough
in a rough or crude state
rough bluegrass
a cultivated bluegrass ( Poa trivialis ) often grown in shady or moist spots as a lawn grass
rough breathing
(in Greek ) the sign (῾) placed over an initial letter , or a second letter if the word begins with a diphthong , indicating that (in ancient Greek) it was pronounced with an h
rough treatment
Your treatment of someone is the way you behave towards them or deal with them.
a rough patch
If you have or go through a rough patch , you have a lot of problems for a time.
rough as bags
uncouth
rough as sacks
uncouth
rough calculation
A calculation is something that you think about and work out mathematically. Calculation is the process of working something out mathematically.
to sleep rough
When people sleep or live rough , they sleep out of doors , usually because they have no home .
a rough diamond
someone, especially a man, that you like and admire because of their good qualities, even though they are not sophisticated or well-mannered
rough-and-ready
A rough and ready solution or method is one that is rather simple and not very exact because it has been thought of or done in a hurry .
rough-and-tumble
You can use rough and tumble to refer to a situation in which the people involved try hard to get what they want , and do not worry about upsetting or harming others, and you think this is acceptable and normal .
rough-legged hawk
a large hawk ( Buteo lagopus ) having legs covered with feathers to the base of the toes
rough puff pastry
a rich flaky pastry made with butter and used for pie-crusts, flans , etc
rough-legged buzzard
a buzzard , Buteo lagopus , of Europe, Asia, and North America, having feathers covering its legs