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
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Recent Examples of rough
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 23 June 2025
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
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
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025
Finally, there’s an air fork and suspension to smooth out the ride, even over rough terrain.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough
Adjective
The course features narrow fairways and primary rough that will range from 3.5 to 5 inches during the tournament.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 23 June 2025
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
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
Hot water can be rough on fabrics and reduce the quality of your bedding over time, causing shrinking, fading, and deterioration of the fabric.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025
Finally, there’s an air fork and suspension to smooth out the ride, even over rough terrain.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough
Adjective
-
The pressure rhythm was adjusted to an uneven triangle pattern to better match the freezing process.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
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Barcelona arrives determined to reclaim momentum after an uneven run of performances.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
With words infallibly falling short, Pritam mingled realism with a fragmentary style of narration that meshes together social encounters, violent episodes, vivid metaphors, disturbing dreams, memories, intimate self-reflections, and introspection on society.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
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Once embroiled in conflict, participants and spectators layer on more stories to make sense of their relationship to its violent cauldron.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The honesty hit home for fans who’ve watched Homa navigate a turbulent stretch.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Whether this week’s series of agreements across Asia marks the start of a broader reset—or a temporary thaw in a turbulent trade landscape—will depend on how these commitments unfold in the months ahead.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
One of the world’s most persistent waste problems, plastics are durable and difficult to recycle.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
-
But grass is difficult to digest for the mammal.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Whether or not Takaichi's administration is as tough on immigration issues as her campaign rhetoric suggests, some observers warn that failing to actively invest in and integrate foreign nationals into society will have lasting harm on Asia’s second-largest economy.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Without a consolidation of that vote in the final stretch, Mamdani appears tough to beat.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But encounters with the island’s residents, including with his gruff but warm-hearted landlady (played by German screen legend Hanna Schygulla), gradually alter his outlook.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 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
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Even the basic details of the situation can sound like the clumsy plot of some apocalyptic thriller.—
Simon Shuster,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
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An exceptionally clumsy device.—
Mark Phelan,
Freep.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Who decides what’s decorous and what’s vulgar?—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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The president has been targeting Jeffries online with offensive and vulgar memes since the pair first had an unsuccessful sit-down meeting in the Oval Office just before the shutdown.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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