1
as in uneven
not having a level or smooth surface
a rough board can give you splinters
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2
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
rough waters that made sailing our sloop a little risky
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3
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions
at least wear a raincoat if you're going out into that rough weather
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4
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
a forensics expert who willingly takes on rough assignments
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5
as in harsh
difficult to endure
I've had a rough time of it since I lost my job
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6
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
the rough faces of hardened criminals who had spent most of their lives behind bars
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7
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
made a rough camp as darkness fell over the forest
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8
as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste
he learned polite words to replace the rough language he had known growing up
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9
as in shaggy
covered with or as if with hair
a face rough with a couple days' worth of beard
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10
11
12
as in wild
marked by turmoil or disturbance especially of natural elements
after a rough week on the high seas, we were happy to sail through the gulf's more tranquil waters
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tough
Related Words
as in to chop
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rough
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2025
Saturday brought wind into the equation along with the damper roughs, ratcheting up the difficulty on a course that was already putting the field into submission holds.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 14 June 2025
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 20 June 2025
Tour Lineup One of the main elements of Warped Tour is the camaraderie between bands that roughed it out together amongst cramped vans and tents for years.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2025
After a rough start to 2025, Colts cornerback Xavien Howard abruptly retired at age 32.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough
Adjective
Oakmont was as advertised this week, with some of the game’s best like Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and more struggling to find answers for its tough greens, thick roughs, and the pouring rain that came down on Sunday certainly didn’t help matters for those vying for the championship.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2025
Saturday brought wind into the equation along with the damper roughs, ratcheting up the difficulty on a course that was already putting the field into submission holds.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 14 June 2025
Noun
Meanwhile, young Spike is back on the mainland, roughing it but clearly surviving.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 20 June 2025
Tour Lineup One of the main elements of Warped Tour is the camaraderie between bands that roughed it out together amongst cramped vans and tents for years.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Verb
This method gave the group a rough estimate of the entire world population without having to resort to complicated calculation methods such as integrals.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2025
After a rough start to 2025, Colts cornerback Xavien Howard abruptly retired at age 32.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough
Adjective
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The piece is crafted from solid poplar wood, finished with a white wash, and sits on top of sturdy iron legs, which have adjustable levels to accommodate uneven floors or area rugs.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
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Broader trends suggest an uneven labor market, with professions like health care continuing to thrive while other fields lag, Stahle said.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Protesters in Ecuador attacked a car carrying President Daniel Noboa, the latest demonstration of increasingly violent discontent against his government.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
8 Oct. 2025
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From a violent separatist insurgency in the English-speaking west to entrenched corruption, the country has seen growth stifled despite abundant oil and mineral wealth.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This rapid descent keeps the drone stable in turbulent air and minimizes wind interference.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
-
But the recent shift from season 50 to season 51, which premiered on Saturday, was even more turbulent.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
For once, the bulk of the anger was directed not at Fosun — the investment group and majority shareholder – and the Molineux hierarchy who have conspired to deal Pereira a difficult hand, but at the head coach himself and his players.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Romancelandia’s social world, harnessed by its business-minded authors, may make its success exceedingly difficult to replicate.—
Rebecca Ackermann,
The Atlantic,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Lammens was perhaps fortunate to escape sanction then (Stuart Atwell booked the forward for diving), but this was a valuable occasion ahead of tougher tests, beginning at Anfield.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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There will be some tough picking in there, but typically the predicting business gets a little easier in region play.—
Tyler Palmateer,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This pays off to some extent because Day-Lewis is such a mesmerizing presence, Ray’s gruff manner and terse communications hinting at dark mysteries to be revealed.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Sep. 2025
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Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Maggie is a snoop—and a clumsy one.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
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But the character’s state of servitude is largely hidden in clumsy blocking.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
A day before a shooter killed four people and set fire to a church in Michigan, students at a football game in Colorado chanted vulgar anti-Mormon slurs against the same religious organization.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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Colorado has condemned a vulgar chant its fans directed at BYU during its football team’s 24-21 loss Saturday at Folsom Field.—
David Ubben,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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