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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

Examples of rough in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
It Faster Than Ever Use Soft Fabrics Only Unsurprisingly, certain fabrics can be rough on hair, leading to frizz and breakage (which leads to more frizz). Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2024 The Nordic market has gone through a rough patch in the last few years after the fallout of negotiations between the Danish producers guild and streamers; and the major restructuring at Viaplay which has put the brakes on local originals and is now partly owned by France’s Canal+. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 26 Sep. 2024
Noun
Players will also encounter four-inch rough, which has been left to grow thickly undisturbed. Jim Owczarski, Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2023 After hitting his tee shot into the right rough on No. 7, the short par-4, DeChambeau leaned on his club to collect his tee and the shaft snapped near the bottom. Jon Schultz, SFChronicle.com, 6 Aug. 2020
Verb
Manke, 34 of Traverse City, is one of the thousands of backcountry campers who visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula each year, as the park sees an increase in campers willing to rough it in the name of being truly immersed in nature. Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press, 27 July 2024 The canvas tents are also a fantastic option for anyone who wants to feel a little more rugged without having to rough it. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for rough 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rough.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near rough

Cite this Entry

“Rough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

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