roughly

adverb

ˈrə-flē How to pronounce roughly (audio)
Definition of roughlynext
1
as in approximately
close to but not exactly roughly 80% of the country's population is of that faith

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in severely
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering if you treat the machine roughly, it will of course break

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 roughly Italian authorities seized roughly 1,700 pounds of cocaine hidden among pallets of bananas at a major port, officials said Tuesday. — Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026 That conviction is reflected in capital flows as well, with AI startups attracting roughly $500 billion in venture funding between 2023 and 2025. — Markus Levin, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 Others also started donating and today, Luverne’s 7,554 nutcrackers outnumber its roughly 5,000 residents. — ABC News, 21 July 2026 As of this week, the subreddit had roughly 72,000 visitors and over 9,000 contributors to the forum. — William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for roughly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughly
  1. approximately
  2. severely
  3. about
  4. harshly
  5. around
  6. oppressively
  7. hard
  8. brutally
Adverb
  • Heriyanto said dozens of search and rescue teams were deployed in a search operation covering approximately 300 square nautical miles of waters along and around Tomini Bay based on the tour boat’s route projections.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • Upon arrival, officers discovered an unidentified male, approximately 30 to 35 years of age, unconscious and unresponsive inside the park.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 24 July 2026
Definition of approximately
Adverb
  • In the following days, Beretti’s right knee swelled severely, according to her health department complaint.
    — Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • With employees bombarded by hundreds of daily notifications and attention spans shrinking to mere seconds, true productivity and complex decision-making are severely hampered.
    — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of severely
Adverb
  • The earthquake's epicenter was about 9 miles east of Willows and occurred at a depth of 19 miles.
    — CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 19 July 2026
  • As Brown’s children became involved in sports and other activities in a larger city about 25 to 30 minutes away, the long drive began to take its toll.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Definition of about
Adverb
  • Trump hadn’t yet declared war on Iran, but the country was roiling with protests, which had been harshly suppressed.
    — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • The Greek myths are rife with petty and meddlesome deities squabbling, playing favorites, punishing harshly, and otherwise wreaking havoc on the lives of mortal men.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of harshly
Adverb
  • West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, is up around $12 a barrel this month.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Groceries come from Aldi and Okka Foods Market, a popular supermarket on Kings Highway, and total around $400.
    — Santul Nerkar, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of around
Adverb
  • The oppressively hot and steamy weather was no deterrent for the crowds that lined up along Crandon Boulevard on Saturday to celebrate America’s independence at Key Biscayne’s 67th Fourth of July parade.
    — Pedro Portal, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
  • Fortunately, this spell of hot temps will be a generally drier heat — not necessarily oppressively humid like is typical for New England.
    — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
Definition of oppressively
Adverb
  • Countries in Asia have been the hardest hit by Iran’s effective closure of the strait, a critical route for about 60% of the region’s energy supply.
    — Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • The short summer nights (and this week’s first quarter moon) may make faint aurora harder to see, with lingering twilight reducing the contrast required to spot a glow low on the northern horizon.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of hard
Adverb
  • But at the end of season 17, while Voit was in prison, he was brutally attacked.
    — Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
  • When the Red Wings signed Mortiz Seider to this contract, his impacts in brutally tough minutes weren’t yet lining up with his reputation.
    — Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of brutally

Browse Nearby Words

rough it
roughly
roughneck
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Roughly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughly. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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