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as in hairy
made of or resembling hair a rough-coated dog who was always shedding his fur

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in bumpy
marked by a series of sharp quick motions a rough flight that left some passengers nauseated

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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rough

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noun

rough

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective rough contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rough are harsh, rugged, scabrous, and uneven. While all these words mean "not smooth or even," rough implies points, bristles, ridges, or projections on the surface.

a rough wooden board

In what contexts can harsh take the place of rough?

While in some cases nearly identical to rough, harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch.

a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

When is rugged a more appropriate choice than rough?

In some situations, the words rugged and rough are roughly equivalent. However, rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel.

a rugged landscape

Where would scabrous be a reasonable alternative to rough?

Although the words scabrous and rough have much in common, scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface.

a scabrous leaf

When might uneven be a better fit than rough?

The meanings of uneven and rough largely overlap; however, uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality.

an old house with uneven floors

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rough
Adjective
Players were struggling to chip the ball to the green from the greenside rough all afternoon. Troy Finnegan‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025 They’re cut to fit from a single rough, one at a time. Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2024
Noun
As a child growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina, Elliott Hundley formed his conception of how artists live based on cinematic archetypes of painters and sculptors roughing it in bohemian splendor in converted industrial spaces. Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 30 May 2025 The new campus was showcased to the public Thursday and, in the fall, will welcome students — who have been roughing it for six years in temporary quarters at a nearby, worn, surplus campus that was formerly a middle school. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
Verb
The layoffs extend what is shaping up as a rough 2025 for the tech industry in the Bay Area. George Avalos, Mercury News, 25 June 2025 Gore’s history in San Diego’s farm system included a rough, prolonged bout with control issues. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for rough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough
Adjective
  • Additionally, although each member of the crew has their own particular skillset, the time spent on individual characters is uneven, and a smaller cast would have likely made things more effective.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 June 2025
  • Moreover, the legal playing field itself can be quite uneven.
    Mark Berookim, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • Dressed in a Versace shirt and gleaming gold chain, Shakur was still out on bond, still basking in the glow of stardom, brushing off a violent altercation with a Crip gang member inside a Sin City casino that had transpired just hours earlier after a Mike Tyson boxing match.
    Danielle Bacher, People.com, 1 July 2025
  • On June 25, Monroe officers used a drone to track down a violent offender who had fled into a wooded area, police said.
    Maia Nehme, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Reina, Fil-Am team center back, brings us on this turbulent journey, culminating in an intimate trip to her grandmother’s hometown in the Philippines.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 June 2025
  • Even Zelensky – who has had a turbulent relationship with Trump – came away with wins.
    Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • James is playing the final year of his contract at $52.6 million, which is a very difficult number for teams to pay.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
  • Any pass to Warren Zaire-Emery in midfield is difficult too, due to Kim pushing out of defence.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • Even these young players already have major tournament experience — a huge strength given their tough group.
    Megan Feringa, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • Nor is anything that tough necessary to prevent chronic illness.
    Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • With a deep, gruff voice and animus toward humanity, McCarthy was an unusual dance-music star when Nitzer Ebb started notching chart hits.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2025
  • Two months ago, the world lost a gruff and burly guitar player named Al Barile.
    Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 11 June 2025
Adjective
  • At times, Alcaraz was almost as clumsy as Federer in his last hurrah here against Hubert Hurkacz in 2021.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • But things get weighed down by a clumsy body-swapping plot and a pairing between Joe and 22 that never fully pays off.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Using vulgar, profane or indecent language in a loud or boisterous manner in the presence of children.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 16 June 2025
  • Between 12% and 13.3% of Americans, around 10% of Brits, and 9.4% of Australians used at least one vulgar word in their data.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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