rough
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- uneven, broken, bumpy, craggy, irregular, jagged, rocky, stony
- ungracious, blunt, brusque, coarse, impolite, rude, unceremonious, uncivil, uncouth, unmannerly
- approximate, estimated, general, imprecise, inexact, sketchy, vague
- stormy, choppy, squally, turbulent, wild
- nasty, cruel, hard, harsh, tough, unfeeling, unpleasant, violent
- basic, crude, imperfect, incomplete, rudimentary, sketchy, unfinished, unpolished, unrefined
- unpleasant, arduous, hard, tough, uncomfortable
[verb]
Synonyms:
- rough out: outline, draft, plan, sketch
[noun]
Synonyms:
- outline, draft, mock-up, preliminary sketch

---

Antonyms: smooth
Contrasted words: flat, flush, level, plain, plane, calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid, serene, tranquil
Related Idioms: in the rough
Related Words: bumpy, choppy, burred, firm, hard, solid, coarse, gross, discourteous, impolite, uncivil, ungracious

---

English Thesaurus: rough, uneven, bumpy, coarse, rugged, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. rough¹ S2 W3 /rʌf/ adjective (comparative rougher, superlative roughest)
[Word Family: noun: rough, the rough, roughage, roughness; verb: rough, roughen; adverb: rough, roughly; adjective: rough]
[Language: Old English; Origin: ruh]

1. NOT SMOOTH having an uneven surface Antonym : smooth:
Her hands were rough from hard work.
the rough terrain at the base of the mountains
We were bumping over the rough ground.

2. NOT EXACT [usually before noun] not exact, not containing many details, or not in a final form Synonym : approximate:
a rough sketch of the house
a rough translation
Could you give me a rough idea what time you’ll be home?
a rough estimate of the cost
First do a rough draft of your essay.

3. PROBLEMS/DIFFICULTIES a rough period is one in which you have a lot of problems or difficulties Synonym : tough:
The first year was rough, but things have gotten better.
Sounds like you had a rough day.
We’ve been through some rough times together.
My boyfriend and I were going through a rough patch.
The bill is in for a rough ride in the Senate.
It’s been rough going, but we’ve almost finished now.

4. NOT GENTLE using force, anger, or violence Antonym : gentle:
Rugby is a very rough sport.
Don’t be too rough – she’s only little.
Paul gave her a rough shake.
equipment capable of withstanding rough treatment
The referee won’t allow any rough stuff (=violent behaviour).
be rough on somebody (=treat someone unkindly or criticize them in an angry way)
Don’t you think you were a little rough on her?

5. TOWN/AREA ETC a rough area is a place where there is a lot of violence or crime:
a rough part of town

6. WEATHER/SEA with strong wind or storms Antonym : calm:
The ship went down in rough seas.

7. VOICE/SOUND
a) not sounding soft or gentle, and often rather unpleasant or angry:
Barton’s deep, rough voice
b) having an unpleasant sound, especially because there is something wrong with a machine:
The clutch sounds rough – better get it checked.

8. SIMPLE/NOT WELL MADE simple and often not very well made:
a rough wooden table

9. NOT COMFORTABLE uncomfortable, and with difficult conditions:
The journey was long and rough.

10. have rough edges (also be rough around the edges)
a) to have some parts that are not as good as they should be, but that are not a serious problem:
The team has a few rough edges, but they’re winning more games.
b) if a person is rough around the edges, they are not very polite, educated etc

11. rough night a night when you did not sleep well:
Mickey had a rough night last night.

12. a rough deal something that happens to you that is unfair or unpleasant:
He’s had a rough deal with his wife leaving him like that.

13. feel rough British English informal to feel ill

14. look rough British English informal to look untidy, dirty, or unhealthy:
After travelling for two days we must have looked pretty rough.

15. rough and ready not perfect, but good enough for a particular purpose:
The tests are only a rough and ready guide to a pupil’s future development.

16. rough justice punishment that is not decided in a court in the usual legal way, and that is often severe or unfair:
Gangs practise a kind of rough justice on their members.
—roughness noun [uncountable]
⇒ rough diamond, rough paper, roughly

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. rough² noun
[Word Family: noun: rough, the rough, roughage, roughness; verb: rough, roughen; adverb: rough, roughly; adjective: rough]

1. the rough uneven ground with long grass on an area where people play golf Antonym : green

2. take the rough with the smooth to accept the bad things in life as well as the good ones:
You have to learn to take the rough with the smooth.

3. [countable] a picture drawn very quickly, not showing all the details Synonym : sketch:
a rough of the proposed housing development

4. in rough British English if you write or draw something in rough, you do it without paying attention to details or tidiness, because you are going to do it again later:
It’s best to work in rough first, and then write it out neatly.

5. a bit of rough British English informal someone from a lower social class than you, with whom you have a sexual relationship
⇒ diamond in the rough

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. rough³ verb
[Word Family: noun: rough, the rough, roughage, roughness; verb: rough, roughen; adverb: rough, roughly; adjective: rough]
rough it informal to live for a short time in conditions that are not very comfortable:
I don’t mind roughing it for a while.
rough something ↔ out phrasal verb British English
to draw or write something without including all the details:
a diagram the engineer had roughed out on his notepad
rough somebody ↔ up phrasal verb
informal to attack someone and hurt them by hitting them

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

IV. rough⁴ adverb
[Word Family: noun: rough, the rough, roughage, roughness; verb: rough, roughen; adverb: rough, roughly; adjective: rough]

1. sleep rough British English to sleep outside with nothing to protect you from the weather, especially because you have no home to live in:
the number of people sleeping rough on the street

2. play rough to play in a fairly violent way
⇒ cut up rough at cut¹(6)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

rough

a rough day/week etc
He’s had a rough week at work.
a rough time
My children had a rough time because they were different from the rest.
a rough patch (=a difficult time that does not last long)
He was good at encouraging his team when it hit a rough patch.
a rough ride (=a time when you are criticized, opposed etc)
She was given a rough ride by the press.
Though the President pushed the bill through the House of Representatives, it faces a rough ride in the Senate.
rough going (=a difficult and unpleasant experience)
If there is a recession, next year will be very rough going.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

rough having a surface that is not flat or smooth:
rough ground
a rough mountain path
The walls were all rough.
Her hands were rough and work-hardened.
uneven an uneven surface has areas that are not flat or not all at the same level:
The floor was uneven.
She climbed the uneven steps with great care.
bumpy a bumpy road, path, or area of land has a lot of holes and raised parts in it:
the bumpy track down to the farm
The field was too bumpy to play football on.
a bumpy journey (=on a road that has a very rough surface)
coarse having a rough surface that feels slightly hard – used especially about materials such as cloth or wool:
coarse woollen blankets
coarse grass
The wool felt rather coarse.
rugged /ˈrʌɡəd, ˈrʌɡɪd/ land that is rugged is very rough and uneven and is often in a high place:
the rugged terrain near the mountains

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

violent /ˈvaɪələnt/ using force to hurt or kill people – used about people, crimes etc. Also used about films or books that contain a lot of violence:
a violent man who couldn’t control his temper
the increase in violent crime
The film is too violent to be shown to children.
vicious /ˈvɪʃəs/ violent and dangerous, and seeming to enjoy hurting people for no reason:
a vicious attack on an unarmed man
We were surrounded by a gang of vicious thugs, armed with knives.
rough /rʌf/ using force or violence, but not causing serious injury:
Some of the boys were being a bit rough with the younger kids.
There were complaints about rough treatment by the police.
brutal /ˈbruːtl/ behaving in a way that is very cruel and violent, and showing no pity:
Idi Amin was a brutal dictator.
a particularly brutal murder
The prison guards were brutal and corrupt.
savage /ˈsævɪdʒ/ attacking people in a particularly cruel way – used about people and fighting, especially in news reports:
a savage killer
There was savage fighting in the capital Mogadishu.
bloody a bloody battle or war is very violent and a lot of people are killed or injured:
a bloody civil war
The Russians were engaged in a bloody battle against the German army.
ferocious /fəˈrəʊʃəs/ a ferocious attack or battle is extremely violent. Also used about animals that are likley to attack in a very violent way:
The two armies fought a ferocious battle.
a ferocious beast
It was the most ferocious attack I have ever seen.
fierce a fierce animal or person looks frightening and likely to attack people:
A fierce dog stood growling at the gate.
Bears are always fierce when they have young.
fierce bodyguards
bloodthirsty a bloodthirsty person enjoys watching violence. A bloodthirsty story contains a lot of violent scenes:
In Mexico, humans were sacrificed to bloodthirsty gods.
a bloodthirsty tale of revenge
gory showing or describing injuries, blood, death etc clearly and in detail:
a gory horror movie
The book was too gory for many readers.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

rough
rʌf
See: diamond in the rough

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲