# rough justice

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/rough-justice
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Treatment or punishment that is not considered fair or in accordance with the law.

## Examples

- The referee's bad call felt like rough justice.
- The company fired him without a proper hearing, which felt like rough justice to everyone in the office.
- The villagers took matters into their own hands, delivering a form of rough justice that bypassed the local courts entirely.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.