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

Cole County Circuit Court Judge Christopher Limbaugh held a roughly two-hour hearing on Friday in a lawsuit that could ultimately determine whether Missouri’s sweeping stadium-funding law will remain in effect. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 10 Jan. 2026

Each tank holds 40 liters, and each cleaning cycle uses roughly one liter of water per pair of shoes. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026

The East Wing expansion will include a 22,000-square-foot ballroom capable of seating 1,000 guests, with the overall expansion totaling roughly 89,000 square feet. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026

After playing roughly every other day for the first six games, the Wild got an extra day off in Seattle, well-known for its rain and cloudy gloom. —Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for roughly

• gruffly