Rough — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb noun verb /ˈrəf/

Meaning & Definition of Rough

Rough (adjective)

  1. marked by inequalities, ridges, or projections on the surface, coarse
  2. covered with or made up of coarse and often shaggy hair
  3. having a broken, uneven, or bumpy surface

Rough (adverb)

  1. roughly
  2. without usual conveniences; especially, without proper shelter

Rough (noun)

  1. uneven ground covered with high grass, brush, and stones; specifically, such ground bordering a golf fairway
  2. the rugged, untouched, or disagreeable side or aspect
  3. something in a crude, unfinished, or preliminary state

Rough (verb)

  1. roughen
  2. to subject to abuse, manhandle, beat —usually used with up
  3. to subject to unnecessary and intentional violence in a sport

Rough (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not having a level or smooth surface

    "a rough board can give you splinters"

    similar: broken, bumpy, coarse, irregular, jagged, lumpy, pebbly, ragged, roughened, rugged, scraggy, uneven
    related: lopsided, unbalanced, inexact, unaligned, rutted, rutty, undulating, undulatory, wavy, pitted, pocked, knobbly, knobby, knurled, knurly, nubbly, nubby, burred, harsh, sandpapery, scraggly, scratchy, nonuniform
    opposite: even, flat, level, plane, smooth
    near: exact, uniform, aligned, regular, true, horizontal, tabular, plumb, straight, vertical, flush

  2. marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity

    "rough waters that made sailing our sloop a little risky"

    similar: bang-bang, blood-and-guts, convulsive, cyclonic, explosive, ferocious, fierce, furious, hammer-and-tongs, hot, knock-down, drag-out, paroxysmal, rabid, stormy, tempestuous, tumultuous, turbulent, violent, volcanic
    related: barbarous, brutal, savage, vicious, antagonistic, hostile, aggressive, assertive, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, gladiatorial, pugnacious, quarrelsome, truculent, combustible, volatile, agitated, frantic, frenzied, mad, cataclysmal, destructive, ruinous
    opposite: nonviolent, peaceable, peaceful
    near: calm, halcyon, pacific, serene, tranquil, nonbelligerent, unaggressive

  3. marked by wet and windy conditions

    "at least wear a raincoat if you're going out into that rough weather"

    similar: bleak, dirty, foul, inclement, nasty, raw, squally, stormy, tempestuous, turbulent
    related: blowy, blustering, blustery, breezy, gusty, windblown, windswept, cloudy, overcast, sunless, rainy, snowy, foggy, hazy, misty, murky, soupy
    opposite: bright, clear, clement, cloudless, fair, sunny, sunshiny, unclouded
    near: rainless, balmy, calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid, pleasant, serene

  4. requiring considerable physical or mental effort

    "a forensics expert who willingly takes on rough assignments"

    similar: arduous, Augean, backbreaking, challenging, demanding, difficult, effortful, exacting, formidable, grueling, hard, heavy, hellacious, herculean, killer, laborious, moiling, murderous, pick-and-shovel, rigorous, rugged, severe, stiff, strenuous, sweaty, tall, testing, toilsome, tough, uphill
    related: abstract, abstruse, complex, complicated, elusive, hairy, insoluble, intricate, involved, knotty, opaque, problematic, recondite, serious, spiny, stubborn, thorny, ticklish, tricky, bruising, burdensome, exhausting, labored, onerous, oppressive, stressful, taxing, tight, trying, annoying, bothersome, distressing, irksome, troublesome, vexatious, grievous, grim, strict, stringent, brutal, cruel, inhuman, painful
    opposite: cheap, easy, effortless, facile, light, mindless, simple, soft, undemanding
    near: achievable, clear, doable, elementary, manageable, uncomplicated, comforting, gentle, painless, relaxed, smooth, soothing, accessible, friendly, idiotproof, user-friendly

  5. difficult to endure

    "I've had a rough time of it since I lost my job"

    similar: bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grievous, grim, hard, hardhanded, harsh, heavy, inhuman, murderous, onerous, oppressive, rugged, searing, severe, stiff, tough, trying
    related: austere, bleak, comfortless, discomforting, forbidding, inhospitable, spartan, uncomfortable, biting, inclement, intemperate, wild, rigorous, strict, stringent, agonizing, heartbreaking, heartrending, painful, wretched, crushing, grinding, overwhelming, wearing, insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unbearable, unendurable, harrowing, tortuous, bad, disagreeable, hostile, unfriendly, unpleasant
    opposite: easy, light, soft
    near: comfortable, cozy, luxurious, snug, agreeable, friendly, genial, hospitable, pleasant, peaceful, relaxing, reposeful, restful, bearable, endurable, painless, tolerable, balmy, calm, clement, gentle, mild, moderate, temperate

  6. harsh and threatening in manner or appearance

    "the rough faces of hardened criminals who had spent most of their lives behind bars"

    similar: austere, dour, fierce, flinty, forbidding, grim, gruff, intimidating, lowering, rugged, severe, stark, steely, stern, ungentle
    related: bleak, cold, hostile, inhospitable, inimical, unfriendly, unsympathetic, adamant, bound, determined, firm, intent, purposeful, resolute, resolved, steadfast, unflinching, fixed, hard, hardened, hardheaded, immovable, implacable, inflexible, ironhanded, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, rigid, self-willed, set, stiff, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful, immutable, unchangeable, black, cheerless, dark, gloomy, glum, joyless, melancholic, moody, morose, sulky, sullen, surly, brooding, grave, humorless, melancholy, serious, sober, sobersided, solemn, somber, staid, unsmiling, weighty
    opposite: benign, benignant, gentle, mild, nonintimidating, tender
    near: bland, meek, mellow, soft, soothing, easy, quiet, tranquil, agreeable, bright, cheerful, inviting, pleasant, pleasing, sweet, glad, happy, lighthearted, merry, mirthful, sunny, featherbrained, flighty, frivolous, giddy, goofy, harebrained, light-headed, playful, scatterbrained, silly

  7. hastily or roughly constructed

    "made a rough camp as darkness fell over the forest"

    similar: artless, clumsy, crude, jerry-built, jerry-rigged, jury-rigged, rough-and-ready, rough-and-tumble, rough-hewn, rude, unrefined
    related: defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, imprecise, inexact, inartistic, undressed, unfinished, unpolished, unworked, amateur, amateurish, inexpert, unprofessional, unskilled, unskillful, primitive, rudimentary, unshaped, unshapen
    opposite: refined
    near: faultless, finished, flawless, meticulous, perfect, perfected, polished, well-done, adept, adroit, dexterous, expert, masterful, masterly, neat, practiced, skillful, workmanlike, artful, artistic, sophisticated, exact, precise

  8. lacking in refinement or good taste

    "he learned polite words to replace the rough language he had known growing up"

    similar: coarse, common, crass, crude, gross, ill-bred, illiberal (archaic), incult, insensible, low, lowbred, lowbrow, raffish, rough-hewn, roughneck, rude, rugged, tasteless, uncouth, uncultivated, uncultured, unpolished, unrefined, vulgar
    related: boorish, churlish, cloddish, clownish, loutish, ungentlemanly, clumsy, lubberly, lumpish, oafish, inconsiderate, indelicate, insensitive, thoughtless, countrified, provincial, rustic, unsophisticated, graceless, inelegant, tacky, animallike, barbaric, barbarous, uncivilized, mannerless, unmannered, unmannerly
    opposite: civilized, cultivated, cultured, genteel, polished, refined, smooth, tasteful, ultrarefined, well-bred
    near: aristocratic, courtly, patrician, elegant, graceful, restrained, considerate, gracious, sensitive, thoughtful, citified, sophisticated, urbane

  9. covered with or as if with hair

    "a face rough with a couple days' worth of beard"

    similar: bristly, brushy, cottony, fleecy, furred, furry, hairy, hirsute, shaggy, silky, unshorn, woolly
    related: bearded, bewhiskered, mustachioed, whiskered, stubbled, stubbly, downy, fluffy, fuzzy, linty, nappy
    opposite: bald, furless, glabrous, hairless, shorn, smooth
    near: beardless, shaved, shaven

  10. made of or resembling hair

    "a rough-coated dog who was always shedding his fur"

    similar: furry, fuzzy, hairy, shaggy, woolly
    related: downy, fluffy, nappy, puffy, hairlike

  11. marked by a series of sharp quick motions

    "a rough flight that left some passengers nauseated"

    similar: bumpy, choppy, herky-jerky, jerky, jouncy
    related: erratic, fitful, irregular, spasmodic, spastic, unsteady, jagged, ragged, uneven
    near: calm, placid, smooth, steady, still

  12. 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"

    similar: rugged, stormy, tempestuous, tumultuous, turbulent, wild
    related: blustering, blustery, raging, violent, brutal, harsh, severe, roily, unquiet, unsettled, bleak, inclement, nasty, raw, squally
    near: calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid, quiet, serene, tranquil, bright, clear, clement, cloudless, fair, sunny, sunshiny, unclouded

Rough (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in punk, thug

    similar: goon, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, mug, punk, roughneck, rowdy, ruffian, thug, tough, toughie, abuser, baiter, giber, harasser, harrier, heckler, mocker, needler, oppressor, persecutor, ridiculer, taunter, tease, teaser, torturer, cutthroat, felon, gangster, gunman, mobster, racketeer, antagonist, enemy, bully, bullyboy, hector, intimidator

Rough (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in beat, chop

    similar: batter, beat, buffet, bung, chop, cuff, drub, lace, lambaste, lick, mangle, maul, pelt, pepper, pommel, pummel, bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, hit, knock, nail, paste, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, zap, scuff, bunt, flick, stroke, tap, bump, butt, jab, jostle, kick, knee, poke, prod, push, shove, stamp, bowl (down or over), cream, deck, dump (slang), fell, floor, knock down, level, rabbit-punch, sucker punch, cane, club, cudgel, flail, flog, lash, sap, slash, sledge, sledgehammer, spear, stab, switch, thrash, whip, bean, brain, conk, skull

Related Entry: Rough (up) (verb)

Rough (up) is a different word from Rough. The synonyms below are for rough (up), not for rough.

  1. to strike repeatedly

    "she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner"

    similar: bash, baste, bat, batter, beat, belabor, belt, birch, bludgeon, buffet, bung up, club, curry, do, drub, fib (British), flog, hammer, hide, lace, lambaste, lash, lather, lick, maul, mess (up), paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punch out, slate, slog, switch, tan, thrash, thresh, thump, tromp, wallop, whale, whip, whop, whup, work over, beat up on
    related: assail, assault, attack, beset, box, bust, chop, clobber, clout, crack, cudgel, cuff, descend (on or upon), hit, jump (on), knock, lam, lay on, paste, pounce (on or upon), punch, raid, rush, slam, slap, smack, smash, sock, spank, storm, swat, swipe, thwack, whack, wham, whomp, blackjack, cane, cowhide, flagellate, fustigate, horsewhip, leather, pistol-whip, rawhide, scourge, strap, gore, lacerate, wound, maim, mangle, mutilate

  2. to abuse physically

    "the photographer claimed that he had been roughed up by the actor's bodyguards outside the club"

    similar: maltreat, manhandle, maul, mishandle
    related: abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, mistreat, misuse, roughhouse, wrestle, bash, batter, beat, buffet, drub, lambaste, lick, pommel, pound, pummel, slap, thrash, harm, hurt, injure, wound, oppress, persecute, wrong, ambush, assail, attack, clobber, fight, gang up (on), hit, jump, knock, torment, torture
    near: caress, fondle, pet, coddle, mollycoddle, pamper, care (for), foster, nurture

Related Entry: Rough-and-ready (adjective)

Rough-and-ready is a different word from Rough. The synonyms below are for rough-and-ready, not for rough.

  1. hastily or roughly constructed

    "a rough-and-ready shack that the explorers threw together as winter approached"

    similar: artless, clumsy, crude, jerry-built, jerry-rigged, jury-rigged, rough, rough-and-tumble, rough-hewn, rude, unrefined
    related: defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, imprecise, inexact, inartistic, undressed, unfinished, unpolished, unworked, amateur, amateurish, inexpert, unprofessional, unskilled, unskillful, primitive, rudimentary, unshaped, unshapen
    opposite: refined
    near: faultless, finished, flawless, meticulous, perfect, perfected, polished, well-done, adept, adroit, dexterous, expert, masterful, masterly, neat, practiced, skillful, workmanlike, artful, artistic, sophisticated, exact, precise

Related Entry: Rough-and-tumble (adjective)

Rough-and-tumble is a different word from Rough. The synonyms below are for rough-and-tumble, not for rough.

  1. hastily or roughly constructed

    "the announcement of his candidacy was made from a rough-and-tumble stage put together just that morning"

    similar: artless, clumsy, crude, jerry-built, jerry-rigged, jury-rigged, rough, rough-and-ready, rough-hewn, rude, unrefined
    related: defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, imprecise, inexact, inartistic, undressed, unfinished, unpolished, unworked, amateur, amateurish, inexpert, unprofessional, unskilled, unskillful, primitive, rudimentary, unshaped, unshapen
    opposite: refined
    near: faultless, finished, flawless, meticulous, perfect, perfected, polished, well-done, adept, adroit, dexterous, expert, masterful, masterly, neat, practiced, skillful, workmanlike, artful, artistic, sophisticated, exact, precise

Related Entry: Rough-and-tumble (noun)

Rough-and-tumble is a different word from Rough. The synonyms below are for rough-and-tumble, not for rough.

  1. a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people

    "a rough-and-tumble broke out among the fans in the stands"

    similar: affray (chiefly British), brawl, broil, donnybrook, fracas, fray, free-for-all, melee, row, ruckus, ruction
    related: battle, clash, combat, conflict, contest, fisticuffs, handgrips, hassle, scrap, scrimmage, scuffle, skirmish, struggle, tussle, horseplay, roughhousing, altercation, argument, dispute, kickup, quarrel, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle

Related Entry: Rough-hewn (adjective)

Rough-hewn is a different word from Rough. The synonyms below are for rough-hewn, not for rough.

  1. hastily or roughly constructed

    "a survivalist living in a rough-hewn shelter in the wilderness"

    similar: artless, clumsy, crude, jerry-built, jerry-rigged, jury-rigged, rough, rough-and-ready, rough-and-tumble, rude, unrefined
    related: defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, imprecise, inexact, inartistic, undressed, unfinished, unpolished, unworked, amateur, amateurish, inexpert, unprofessional, unskilled, unskillful, primitive, rudimentary, unshaped, unshapen
    opposite: refined
    near: faultless, finished, flawless, meticulous, perfect, perfected, polished, well-done, adept, adroit, dexterous, expert, masterful, masterly, neat, practiced, skillful, workmanlike, artful, artistic, sophisticated, exact, precise

  2. lacking in refinement or good taste

    "a rough-hewn kid who had to learn how to behave properly in polite company"

    similar: coarse, common, crass, crude, gross, ill-bred, illiberal (archaic), incult, insensible, low, lowbred, lowbrow, raffish, rough, roughneck, rude, rugged, tasteless, uncouth, uncultivated, uncultured, unpolished, unrefined, vulgar
    related: boorish, churlish, cloddish, clownish, loutish, ungentlemanly, clumsy, lubberly, lumpish, oafish, inconsiderate, indelicate, insensitive, thoughtless, countrified, provincial, rustic, unsophisticated, graceless, inelegant, tacky, animallike, barbaric, barbarous, uncivilized, mannerless, unmannered, unmannerly
    opposite: civilized, cultivated, cultured, genteel, polished, refined, smooth, tasteful, ultrarefined, well-bred
    near: aristocratic, courtly, patrician, elegant, graceful, restrained, considerate, gracious, sensitive, thoughtful, citified, sophisticated, urbane

  3. lacking social grace and assurance

    "rough-hewn military cadets feeling a little self-conscious at their first formal dance"

    similar: awkward, clumsy, gauche, graceless, inelegant, rustic, stiff, stilted, uncomfortable, uneasy, ungraceful, wooden
    related: angular, gawky, lubberly, ungainly, boorish, clownish, uncouth, abashed, discomfited, discomforted, discomposed, disconcerted, discountenanced, embarrassed, self-conscious, agitated, bothered, chagrined, dismayed, disquieted, distressed, disturbed, fazed, flustered, jittery, jumpy, mortified, nervous, nonplussed, perturbed, rattled, unhinged, unsettled, upset, diffident, insecure, meek, modest, self-doubting, timid, unassertive, unassuming, unpretentious
    opposite: graceful, suave, urbane
    near: assured, calm, collected, composed, confident, cool, placid, poised, secure, self-assured, self-confident, self-possessed, serene, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed

Related Entry: Rough it (phrase)

Rough it is a different word from Rough. The synonyms below are for rough it, not for rough.

  1. to live in a camp or the outdoors

    "They spent a week roughing it in the woods."

    similar: bivouac, camp (out), encamp
    related: sleep out, tent, bed (down), backpack, caravan

Related Entry: Rough-edged (adjective)

Rough-edged is a different word from Rough. The synonyms below are for rough-edged, not for rough.

  1. as in vulgar, uncouth

    similar: rough-hewn, rude, trashy, uncouth, uncultivated, uncultured, unpolished, unrefined, vulgar, dowdy, graceless, inelegant, styleless, tasteless, unfashionable, unhandsome, unstylish
    opposite: à la mode, chic, fashionable, in, modish, posh, sharp, sleek, smart, snappy, stylish, swagger, swank, chichi, flossy, haute, nobby, ritzy, soigné, deluxe, exclusive, high-end, luxe, luxurious, opulent, sumptuous, upmarket, upscale

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Rough

The most common words with a similar meaning to Rough:

Archaic: illiberal
Slang: dump
broken, bumpy, coarse, irregular, jagged, lumpy, pebbly, ragged, roughened, rugged, scraggy, uneven, bang-bang, blood-and-guts, convulsive, cyclonic, explosive, ferocious, fierce, furious, hammer-and-tongs, hot, knock-down, drag-out, paroxysmal, rabid, stormy, tempestuous, tumultuous, turbulent, violent, volcanic, bleak, dirty, foul, inclement, nasty, raw, squally, arduous, Augean

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Rough

Words with the opposite meaning of Rough:

even, flat, level, plane, smooth, nonviolent, peaceable, peaceful, bright, clear, clement, cloudless, fair, sunny, sunshiny, unclouded, cheap, easy, effortless, facile, light, mindless, simple, soft, undemanding, benign, benignant, gentle, mild, nonintimidating

Related Words for Rough

lopsided, unbalanced, inexact, unaligned, rutted, rutty, undulating, undulatory, wavy, pitted, pocked, knobbly, knobby, knurled, knurly, nubbly, nubby, burred, sandpapery, scraggly, scratchy, nonuniform, barbarous, savage, vicious, antagonistic, hostile, aggressive, assertive, bellicose

Near Antonyms of Rough

exact, uniform, aligned, regular, true, horizontal, tabular, plumb, straight, vertical, flush, calm, halcyon, pacific, serene, tranquil, nonbelligerent, unaggressive, rainless, balmy, placid, pleasant, achievable, doable, elementary, manageable, uncomplicated, comforting, painless, relaxed

Word Forms of Rough

Inflections: rougher, roughest, roughed, roughing, roughs

Derived words: roughish (adjective), roughness (noun), rougher (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Rough

Middle English, from Old English rūh; akin to Old High German rūh rough, Lithuanian raukas wrinkle

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Rough

  • Topics: Descriptions / Adjectives

Words & Phrases Containing Rough

rough-and-ready, rough-and-tumble, rough bluegrass, rough breathing, rough cut

Frequently Asked Questions about Rough

What does "Rough" mean?

"Rough" means marked by inequalities, ridges, or projections on the surface, coarse. As an an adjective, an adverb, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: marked by inequalities, ridges, or projections on the surface, coarse. It has 14 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Rough"?

Other words for "Rough" include broken, bumpy, coarse, irregular, jagged, lumpy, pebbly and ragged. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Rough" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Rough"?

There are 523 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Rough". Common alternatives include broken, bumpy, coarse, irregular, jagged, lumpy, pebbly, ragged, roughened and rugged.

What is the opposite of "Rough"?

Antonyms of "Rough" include even, flat, level, plane, smooth, nonviolent, peaceable and peaceful. Near antonyms include exact, uniform, aligned and regular.

How do you use "Rough" in a sentence?

Examples of "Rough" in a sentence: "a rough board can give you splinters"; "rough waters that made sailing our sloop a little risky"; "at least wear a raincoat if you're going out into that rough weather".

Is "Rough" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Rough" can be used as an adjective, an adverb, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Rough"?

"Rough" is pronounced /ˈrəf/.

What is the origin of the word "Rough"?

"Rough" comes from Middle English, from Old English rūh; akin to Old High German rūh rough, Lithuanian raukas wrinkle. First known use: before 12th century.