rough (rŭf)

---

[Middle English, from Old English rūh.]

adjective: rough·er, rough·est. 

1. Having a surface marked by irregularities, protuberances, or ridges; not smooth.
2. Coarse or shaggy to the touch: a rough scratchy blanket.
3. 1. Difficult to travel over or through: the rough terrain of the highlands.
   2. Characterized by violent motion; turbulent: rough waters.
   3. Difficult to endure or live through, especially because of harsh or inclement weather: a rough winter.
   4. Unpleasant or difficult: had a rough time during the exam.
4. 1. Boisterous, unruly, uncouth, or rowdy: ran with a rough crowd.
   2. Lacking polish or finesse: rough manners.
5. Characterized by carelessness or force, as in manipulating: broke the crystal through rough handling.
6. Harsh to the ear: a rough raspy sound.
7. Being in a natural state: rough diamonds.
8. Not perfected, completed, or fully detailed: a rough drawing; rough carpentry.

noun 

1. 1. Rugged overgrown terrain.
   2. Sports The part of a golf course left unmowed and uncultivated.
2. The difficult or disagreeable aspect, part, or side: observed politics in the rough when working as an intern on Capitol Hill.
3. Something in an unfinished or hastily worked-out state.
4. A crude unmannered person; a rowdy.

transitive verb: roughed, rough·ing, roughs. 

1. 1. To treat roughly or with physical violence: roughed up his opponent.
   2. Sports To treat (an opposing player) with unnecessary roughness, often in violation of the rules: was ejected from the game for roughing the passer.
2. To prepare or indicate in an unfinished form: rough out a house plan.

adverb 

In a rough manner; roughly: The engine began to run rough and faltered.

idioms

rough it

To live without the usual comforts and conveniences: roughed it in a small hunting shack.

derivatives

rough́er

noun

rough́ly

adverb

rough́ness

noun

synonyms:

rough, harsh, jagged, rugged, scabrous, uneven These adjectives apply to what is not smooth but has a coarse, irregular surface. Rough describes something that to the sight or touch has inequalities, as projections or ridges: rough bark; rough, chapped hands. Something harsh is unpleasantly rough, discordant, or grating: harsh burlap; a harsh voice. Jagged refers to an edge or surface with irregular projections and indentations: a jagged piece of glass. Rugged can apply to land surfaces characterized by irregular, often steep rises and slopes: rugged countryside. Scabrous means rough and scaly to the touch: granular, scabrous skin. Uneven describes lines or surfaces of which some parts are not level with others: uneven ground; uneven handwriting.

See also: rude