Rough
adjective
Not smooth or even.
Your hands are so rough from all your work.
Often appears as...
- rough hands
- rough surface
adjective
Difficult or unpleasant conditions or experiences.
He's had a rough day at work.
Often appears as...
- rough day
- rough time
Usage tips
Colloquial
verb
To treat roughly or without respect.
The guards roughed up the prisoner.
Often appears as...
- rough up
- rough handling
Usage tips
Disapproving
Colloquial
adjective
An estimate or plan that is not detailed or exact.
We have a rough idea of what he looks like
Often appears as...
- rough estimate
- rough idea
adverb
In a manner that lacks gentleness or finesse.
He handled the vase roughly.
Often appears as...
- handle roughly
- treat roughly
adjective
Not smooth or even.
Your hands are so rough from all your work.
Often appears as...
- rough hands
- rough surface
adjective
Difficult or unpleasant conditions or experiences.
He's had a rough day at work.
Often appears as...
- rough day
- rough time
Usage tips
Colloquial
verb
To treat roughly or without respect.
The guards roughed up the prisoner.
Often appears as...
- rough up
- rough handling
Usage tips
Disapproving
Colloquial
adjective
An estimate or plan that is not detailed or exact.
We have a rough idea of what he looks like
Often appears as...
- rough estimate
- rough idea
adverb
In a manner that lacks gentleness or finesse.
He handled the vase roughly.
Often appears as...
- handle roughly
- treat roughly
Definition 1 of 5
Pro Tip 1/2Texture Indication
Use 'rough' to describe an object's uneven or coarse surface that can be felt.
The wall's rough texture scraped my hand.
Pro Tip 2/2Opposite of Smooth
Consider 'rough' as the opposite of 'smooth'; helpful when comparing surfaces.
While silk feels smooth, burlap feels rough.
Pro Tip 1/2Texture Indication
Use 'rough' to describe an object's uneven or coarse surface that can be felt.
The wall's rough texture scraped my hand.
Pro Tip 2/2Opposite of Smooth
Consider 'rough' as the opposite of 'smooth'; helpful when comparing surfaces.
While silk feels smooth, burlap feels rough.
Pro Tip 1/2Texture Indication
Use 'rough' to describe an object's uneven or coarse surface that can be felt.
The wall's rough texture scraped my hand.
Pro Tip 2/2Opposite of Smooth
Consider 'rough' as the opposite of 'smooth'; helpful when comparing surfaces.
While silk feels smooth, burlap feels rough.
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Video examples
It’s time to embrace our...
and these investments need to be made in the developing world today some problems like congestion need more than just an engineering solution we can't just build our way out of traffic congestion there's something called the fundamental law vehicle of vehicle traffic which says that as vehicle miles built goes up vehicle miles traveled increased roughly
Video examples
How your muscular system...
beyond our direct control. That makes your heart thump roughly 3 billion times over the course of your life, which supplies the body with blood and oxygen. Autonomic control also contracts and relaxes smooth muscle in a rhythmic cycle. That pumps blood through the smooth internal walls of blood vessels,
Video examples
The Survival of the Sea...
Roughly a month and a half after having been laid, the surviving eggs hatch, and the young turtles, each small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, squirm to the surface, emerging from the sand en masse, and making their desperate dash for the sea. Along the way, debris, pitfalls, crabs,
Video examples
Go Inside an Antarctic...
roughest ocean in the world and then they come back to hear this kind of blizzard snow-covered mountainous island to breed and you meet them and they're just totally unfazed hello some of these adults might not have set foot on land for five months to see their chicks and
Video examples
What does it mean to be...
membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, and is often related to war and violence. Today, roughly half the world's refugees are children, some of them unaccompanied by an adult, a situation that makes them especially vulnerable to child labor
Video examples
How to speak monkey: The...
Uh-oh. He's playing a little too roughly, and Shakira screams, alerting her parents to help her. Her dad makes his way towards the ball of rolling fur and her brother stops. Shakira shakes herself and scratches herself to get the hair on her head back in place.
Video examples
The science of milk -...
roughly five times more than human or cow's milk, to help their young survive the harsh, freezing climate. So how is milk made? In the uniquely mammalian process of lactation, a special class of milk-secreting cells known as mammocytes
Video examples
Puppy Adopted By Cat...
dogs pack life requires fighting for your share in the rough and tumble of competing mouths this puppy breaks all of the cat's social conventions his wild instincts express themselves despite his unusual family
Video examples
Benoit Mandelbrot:...
because it's very old. Roughness is part of human life forever and forever, and ancient authors have written about it. It was very much uncontrollable, and in a certain sense,
Video examples
Filming Galapagos Giant...
these nests have been marked by the park so they know exactly where they are they know roughly what time of year the eggs were laid yesterday
Video examples
It’s time to embrace our...
and these investments need to be made in the developing world today some problems like congestion need more than just an engineering solution we can't just build our way out of traffic congestion there's something called the fundamental law vehicle of vehicle traffic which says that as vehicle miles built goes up vehicle miles traveled increased roughly
Video examples
How your muscular system...
beyond our direct control. That makes your heart thump roughly 3 billion times over the course of your life, which supplies the body with blood and oxygen. Autonomic control also contracts and relaxes smooth muscle in a rhythmic cycle. That pumps blood through the smooth internal walls of blood vessels,
Video examples
The Survival of the Sea...
Roughly a month and a half after having been laid, the surviving eggs hatch, and the young turtles, each small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, squirm to the surface, emerging from the sand en masse, and making their desperate dash for the sea. Along the way, debris, pitfalls, crabs,
Video examples
Go Inside an Antarctic...
roughest ocean in the world and then they come back to hear this kind of blizzard snow-covered mountainous island to breed and you meet them and they're just totally unfazed hello some of these adults might not have set foot on land for five months to see their chicks and
Video examples
What does it mean to be...
membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, and is often related to war and violence. Today, roughly half the world's refugees are children, some of them unaccompanied by an adult, a situation that makes them especially vulnerable to child labor
Video examples
How to speak monkey: The...
Uh-oh. He's playing a little too roughly, and Shakira screams, alerting her parents to help her. Her dad makes his way towards the ball of rolling fur and her brother stops. Shakira shakes herself and scratches herself to get the hair on her head back in place.
Video examples
The science of milk -...
roughly five times more than human or cow's milk, to help their young survive the harsh, freezing climate. So how is milk made? In the uniquely mammalian process of lactation, a special class of milk-secreting cells known as mammocytes
Video examples
Puppy Adopted By Cat...
dogs pack life requires fighting for your share in the rough and tumble of competing mouths this puppy breaks all of the cat's social conventions his wild instincts express themselves despite his unusual family
Video examples
Benoit Mandelbrot:...
because it's very old. Roughness is part of human life forever and forever, and ancient authors have written about it. It was very much uncontrollable, and in a certain sense,
Video examples
Filming Galapagos Giant...
these nests have been marked by the park so they know exactly where they are they know roughly what time of year the eggs were laid yesterday
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
George Hill
American Athlete
I never thought I'd be anything, coming from a rough neighborhood. So my character was built on the street. I had to know how to carry myself; I had to act like I was older than I was.
Quote examples
Haley Joel Osment
American Actor
People hear the examples of kids who work when they're young, have bad experiences, and then have a rough life after that, but a lot of it is just about the people around you.
Quote examples
Eric Nam
American Musician
I look like a 'Sesame Street' character in real life when I wake up. But not like the cute ones, like kind of like the ones that look a little rough around the edges.
Quote examples
Victor Hugo
French Author
The brutalities of progress are called revolutions. When they are over we realize this: that the human race has been roughly handled, but that it has advanced.
Quote examples
Ghostface Killah
American Musician
All this could go tomorrow, and I would still know how to function, because I never had nothing before. I went through the struggle - it was a rough life.
Quote examples
Gail Sheehy
American Writer
In rough times, pathfinders rely on work, friends, humor and prayer. They develop a support network.
Quote examples
Shirley Knight
American Actress
My acting career helped pull me through the rough times.
Quote examples
George Eliot
British Author
Truth has rough flavours if we bite it through.
Quote examples
Munshi Premchand
Indian Writer
My life is simple and rough.
Quote examples
Yoko Ono
American Artist
My life was pretty rough.
Quote examples
George Hill
American Athlete
I never thought I'd be anything, coming from a rough neighborhood. So my character was built on the street. I had to know how to carry myself; I had to act like I was older than I was.
Quote examples
Haley Joel Osment
American Actor
People hear the examples of kids who work when they're young, have bad experiences, and then have a rough life after that, but a lot of it is just about the people around you.
Quote examples
Eric Nam
American Musician
I look like a 'Sesame Street' character in real life when I wake up. But not like the cute ones, like kind of like the ones that look a little rough around the edges.
Quote examples
Victor Hugo
French Author
The brutalities of progress are called revolutions. When they are over we realize this: that the human race has been roughly handled, but that it has advanced.
Quote examples
Ghostface Killah
American Musician
All this could go tomorrow, and I would still know how to function, because I never had nothing before. I went through the struggle - it was a rough life.
Quote examples
Gail Sheehy
American Writer
In rough times, pathfinders rely on work, friends, humor and prayer. They develop a support network.
Quote examples
Shirley Knight
American Actress
My acting career helped pull me through the rough times.
Quote examples
George Eliot
British Author
Truth has rough flavours if we bite it through.
Quote examples
Munshi Premchand
Indian Writer
My life is simple and rough.
Quote examples
Yoko Ono
American Artist
My life was pretty rough.
Example 1 of 10
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