Rough - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT rough /rəf/ /rəf/ IPA guide

Other forms: rougher; roughest; roughing; roughs; roughed

Rough means harsh and uneven. If you want to go driving in the rough terrain of rocky dirt roads, you'll need four-wheel drive and a stomach for bouncing.

Rough means coarse or bumpy, and can be used in many different ways. A few days after you shave, your skin will be rough with stubble. Rough seas are choppy and turbulent, and might make you seasick. On a rough day, lots of things go wrong. A rough person (who could be called "a rough") tends to get into fights. Someone raised on a farm in the mountains could be described as having a rough and rugged life.

Definitions of rough

adjective having or caused by an irregular surface “trees with rough bark” “rough ground” “rough skin” “rough blankets” synonyms: unsmooth uneven not even or uniform as e.g. in shape or texture unironed, wrinkled (of linens or clothes) not ironed unpolished not carefully reworked or perfected or made smooth by polishing irregular contrary to rule or accepted order or general practice coarse, harsh of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles nonslippery not slippery; not likely to slip or skid abrasive, scratchy causing abrasion alligatored, cracked of paint or varnish; having the appearance of alligator hide barky resembling the rough bark of a tree broken, rugged topographically very uneven bullate of leaves; appearing puckered as if blistered bumpy covered with or full of bumps chapped, cracked, roughened used of skin roughened as a result of cold or exposure corded, twilled of textiles; having parallel raised lines costate, ribbed (of the surface) having a rough, riblike texture cragged, craggy, hilly, mountainous having hills and crags crushed treated so as to have a permanently wrinkled appearance homespun, nubbly, nubby, slubbed, tweedy of textiles; having a rough surface imbricate, imbricated used especially of leaves or bracts; overlapping or layered as scales or shingles lepidote, leprose, scabrous, scaly, scurfy rough to the touch; covered with scales or scurf squamulose covered with tiny scales lined, seamed (used especially of skin) marked by lines or seams pocked, pockmarked, potholed used of paved surfaces having holes or pits rock-ribbed, rockbound abounding in or bordered by rocky cliffs or scarps bouldered, bouldery, rocky, stony abounding in rocks or stones gravelly, pebbly, shingly abounding in small stones roughish somewhat rough rugose of leaves; ridged or wrinkled sandpapery having the abrasive texture of sandpaper saw-like having rough edges that can be used for sawing scabby covered with scabs shagged, shaggy having a very rough nap or covered with hanging shags coarse-textured, rough-textured, textured having surface roughness verrucose, wartlike, warty (of skin) covered with warts or projections that resemble warts see moresee less antonyms: smooth having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities even being level or straight or regular and without variation as e.g. in shape or texture; or being in the same plane or at the same height as something else (i.e. even with) ironed (of linens or clothes) smoothed with a hot iron fine of textures that are smooth to the touch or substances consisting of relatively small particles slippery, slippy causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide creaseless, uncreased used especially of fabrics even-textured having an even texture fast (of surfaces) conducive to rapid speeds fine-textured, smooth-textured having a smooth, fine-grained structure glassy resembling glass in smoothness and shininess and slickness seamless, unlined, unseamed smooth, especially of skin aerodynamic, flowing, sleek, streamlined designed to offer the least resistance while moving through air or liquid velvet, velvet-textured, velvety smooth and soft to sight or hearing or touch or taste show more antonyms...
adjective of the margin of a leaf shape; having the edge cut or fringed or scalloped synonyms: simple, unsubdivided (botany) of leaf shapes; of leaves having no divisions or subdivisions compound composed of more than one part bidentate having toothlike projections that are themselves toothed biserrate having saw-like notches with the notches themselves similarly notched ciliate, ciliated having a margin or fringe of hairlike projections crenate, crenated, scalloped having a margin with rounded scallops crenulate, crenulated having a margin with small rounded teeth crispate wavy or notched and curled very irregularly dentate having toothlike projections in the margin denticulate having a very finely toothed margin emarginate having a notched tip erose, jagged, jaggy, notched, toothed having an irregularly notched or toothed margin as though gnawed fimbriate having a fringe of slender processes fringed, laciniate having edges irregularly and finely slashed lacerate, lacerated irregularly slashed and jagged as if torn pectinate like a comb rimose having a surface covered with a network of cracks and small crevices runcinate having incised margins with the lobes or teeth pointing toward the base; as dandelion leaves notched, saw-toothed, serrate, serrated, toothed notched like a saw with teeth pointing toward the apex serrulate minutely serrated spinose having spines see moresee less antonyms: smooth of the margin of a leaf shape; not broken up into teeth simple, unsubdivided (botany) of leaf shapes; of leaves having no divisions or subdivisions compound composed of more than one part entire (of leaves or petals) having a smooth edge; not broken up into teeth or lobes repand having a slightly undulating margin sinuate having a strongly waved margin alternately concave and convex undulate having a wavy margin and rippled surface unnotched, untoothed having no notches show more antonyms...
adjective violently agitated and turbulent “rough weather” “rough seas” synonyms: boisterous, fierce stormy (especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion
adjective causing or characterized by jolts and irregular movements “a rough ride” synonyms: bumpy, jolting, jolty, jumpy, rocky see moresee less antonyms: smooth of motion that runs or flows or proceeds without jolts or turbulence
adverb with rough motion as over a rough surface “ride rough” synonyms: roughly
adjective (of persons or behavior) lacking refinement or finesse “she was a diamond in the rough” “rough manners” synonyms: unrefined (used of persons and their behavior) not refined; uncouth
adjective unkind or cruel or uncivil “a rough answer” synonyms: harsh unkind lacking kindness
adjective ready and able to resort to force or violence “they were rough and determined fighting men” synonyms: pugnacious aggressive having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends
adverb with roughness or violence (`rough' is an informal variant for `roughly') “they treated him rough” synonyms: roughly
adjective not shaped by cutting or trimming “rough gemstones” synonyms: uncut unsheared (used especially of fur or wool) not having been sheared
adjective not carefully or expertly made “rough carpentry” synonyms: crude unskilled not having or showing or requiring special skill or proficiency
adjective not perfected “a rough draft” “a few rough sketches” synonyms: unpolished not carefully reworked or perfected or made smooth by polishing
adjective not quite exact or correct “a rough guess” synonyms: approximate, approximative inexact not exact
noun the part of a golf course bordering the fairway where the grass is not cut short see moresee less type of: land site, site the piece of land on which something is located (or is to be located)
verb prepare in preliminary or sketchy form synonyms: rough in, rough out see moresee less type of: prepare to prepare verbally, either for written or spoken delivery
adjective full of hardship or trials “they were having a rough time” synonyms: rocky difficult, hard not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
adjective unpleasantly stern “the nomad life is rough and hazardous” synonyms: harsh unpleasant disagreeable to the senses, to the mind, or feelings
adjective unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound synonyms: grating, gravelly, rasping, raspy, scratchy cacophonic, cacophonous having an unpleasant sound

Pronunciation US /rəf/ UK /rəf/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘rough'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family 2 million people are mastering new words. Master a word

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