rough
- 01 A2 Elementary
adj.having an uneven surface that is not smooth to the touch.
adj.having an uneven or irregular surface; not smooth or polished.
Simple“The bark of the old oak tree felt rough against my hand.”
In context“The mountain path became increasingly rough as we ascended, with loose stones making every step a potential hazard.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
adj.not exact or detailed; a quick guess or a basic version.
adj.not fully worked out or detailed; approximate or preliminary in nature.
Simple“I can give you a rough estimate of the cost by tomorrow morning.”
In context“The architect presented a rough sketch of the proposed extension to give the clients a general sense of the spatial layout.”
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
adj.difficult to deal with or causing suffering.
adj.characterised by hardship, difficulty, or unpleasant conditions.
Simple“He had a rough day at work and just wanted to go home.”
In context“The local economy went through a rough patch following the closure of the main manufacturing plant in the valley.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
adj.a place that is dangerous or a person who uses too much force.
adj.characterised by violence, disorder, or a lack of gentleness.
Simple“The neighborhood used to be quite rough, but it is much safer now.”
In context“The referee warned the players that he would not tolerate rough play during the second half of the match.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.feeling sick or tired, often because of a lack of sleep or too much alcohol.
adj.feeling unwell or physically exhausted; frequently used to describe the effects of a hangover.
Simple“I'm feeling a bit rough this morning after staying up so late.”
In context“He looked remarkably rough during the meeting, clearly suffering the consequences of the previous night's celebrations.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the area of long grass on a golf course.
n.the area of long, unmown grass bordering the fairway on a golf course.
Simple“His ball landed in the rough, making his next shot very difficult.”
In context“The tournament organisers deliberately allowed the rough to grow longer to increase the difficulty of the final round.”
Antonymsfairway - 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to live without comfort or basic things for a short time, like when camping.
v.to live in uncomfortable or primitive conditions, typically by choice or necessity.
Simple“We decided to rough it in a tent for the weekend instead of booking a hotel.”
In context“The researchers had to rough it in the jungle for three months while they tracked the migration patterns of the local wildlife.”
UsageUsually used in the phrase 'rough it'.
Synonyms - 08 B2 Upper Intermediate
adv.acting in a way that is not gentle.
adv.in a manner that lacks gentleness or refinement.
Simple“Don't play rough with the puppy or you might hurt him.”
In context“The political campaign started to play rough as the election date approached, with both sides releasing aggressive advertisements.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'play rough'.
Usage rough sleeping · rough sleepers
From Middle English rough, roughe, roȝe, row, rou, ru, ruȝ, ruh, from Old English rūg, rūh, from Proto-Germanic *rūhaz. Cognate with Scots ruch, rouch (“rough”), Saterland Frisian ruuch, rouch (“rough”), West Frisian rûch (“rough”), Low German ruuch (“rough”), Dutch ruig (“rough”), German rau(h) (“rough”), Danish ru (“uneven on the surface, "rough", "rugged"”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.