be rough on (someone)
idiom
: to punish or criticize (someone) harshly
Don't be so rough on them for making a mistake.
Examples of be rough on (someone) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Winters can be rough on your vehicle, but summers can be just as bad.
—
Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
Alcohol and tobacco are known to be rough on the body, but can marijuana help cholesterol?
—Matt Rozo, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
Regular towels can be rough on your hair, spurring frizz, breakage, and pesky split ends, while microfiber hair towels are designed to gently wick moisture, sans roughness.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 18 Dec. 2024
The first few days in a shelter can be rough on a dog.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
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
Goaltenders put on a show The All-Star weekend is supposed to be rough on goalies, but there were outstanding performances.
—Mike Brehm, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2024
To buy: Kindle Paperwhite Kids 16GB Bundle $110 (was $170)
Kids can be rough on things, and Amazon knows this.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 10 Oct. 2023
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Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
Alcohol and tobacco are known to be rough on the body, but can marijuana help cholesterol?
—Matt Rozo, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
Regular towels can be rough on your hair, spurring frizz, breakage, and pesky split ends, while microfiber hair towels are designed to gently wick moisture, sans roughness.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 18 Dec. 2024
The first few days in a shelter can be rough on a dog.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
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
Goaltenders put on a show The All-Star weekend is supposed to be rough on goalies, but there were outstanding performances.
—Mike Brehm, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2024
To buy: Kindle Paperwhite Kids 16GB Bundle $110 (was $170)
Kids can be rough on things, and Amazon knows this.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 10 Oct. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Be rough on (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/be%20rough%20on%20%28someone%29. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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