roughly

adverb

rough·​ly ˈrə-flē 

1

: in a rough manner: such as

a

: with harshness or violence

treated the prisoner roughly

b

: in crude fashion : imperfectly

roughly dressed lumber

2

: without completeness or exactness : approximately

roughly 20 percent

Synonyms of roughly

• approximately
• about
• around

Examples of roughly in a Sentence

Roughly translated, it means “hurry up!”.

The new product is modeled roughly on an earlier design.

He threw the package roughly in the truck.

The guard told us roughly that we had to stand back.

Recent Examples on the Web

In recent months, Palestinian authorities and civilians have reported escalating Israeli encroachment in the West Bank, including multiple raids by settler groups on the Roman-era archaeological site of Sebastia, home to roughly 3,500 Palestinians. —Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 13 May 2026

The unlikely pair came together Tuesday not for a most unusual duet, but instead to praise ongoing efforts to find new homes for roughly 1,500 beagles purchased from dog breeder and research facility Ridglan Farms outside of Madison. —Scott Bauer, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026

The roughly 4,800-square-foot home is wrapped in expansive windows overlooking the lake and mountains beyond, turning the landscape into a constantly changing backdrop. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 May 2026

The company says its pilot is growing from about 200 kilowatts of flexible capacity last year to roughly 2 megawatts this summer, and could expand much further. —Kiki Sideris, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for roughly

• gruffly