Skip to main content
rough

rough

68 5.4
Tough and likely to use force or violence
  • adjective
  • /rʌf/
translation icon : violento
  • A man came out of a rough shelter, glanced at us, but said nothing.
  • rough-and-tumble

I went to a pretty rough and tough elementary school.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • And he is one rough old boy.

  • The assumption from the start, he said, was that they were dealing with rough company.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Like she plays rough, but fair.

  • We have been sort of rough on him but he is kind of soft, if you know what I mean.

  • I went to a pretty rough and tough elementary school.

  • Look, I come from a pretty rough family that doesn't support you or your dreams.

  • Must've been a rough game.

  • No longer pink and shiny, their skin was rough from winter winds, wrinkled from the brutal western sun.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • There is movement and commotion all around him as Natives and militia fall into rough formation.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The coach warned that the opposing team plays rough and will use aggressive tactics during the game.

Synonyms

thuggish
vsrough
  • NSFW
5 7.4

Acts violently to scare other people

is generally aggressive and may not act in openly violent ways
pugnacious
vsrough
4 8.8

Quick to argue or fight, often over small things

is willing to use physical force rather than just eager to argue

Antonyms

428 1.0

Calm and quiet, without noise or trouble

235 1.0

Kind and not strong in action, sound, or touch

Idioms

7 5.2

A person or thing with great talent but little polish

To go through a short time with problems after a good time

rough time of it
  • Informal
2 6.5

A period when someone has many problems

Accept the good and bad parts of a situation

Compounds

rough cut
  • Specialized
5 4.8

An early edited version of a film before final changes

the rough
  • Jargon
5 7.0

An area on a golf course with long grass that makes play harder

rough-and-tumble
  • Informal
3 7.3

Energetic and rough, not following usual rules

3 3.6

Sea or big lake with strong waves that make travel by boat difficult

2 8.1

A soldier on horseback in the volunteer unit led by Theodore Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War

1 4.7

A sharp, uneven part that can cut, or a small fault in a person's way of behaving

An appearance that seems tough but hides a softer side

rough-and-ready
  • Informal
1 6.6

Simple and not carefully made but good enough for the job

rough sledding
  • Informal
1 7.0

A difficult time that is hard to get through

1 8.1

A harsh punishment people give without help from the police or courts

rough trot
  • Informal
1 8.1

A difficult time or an uncomfortable ride someone has

rough-skinned newt
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A small salamander with rough skin that lives near streams on the Pacific coast

A climbing evergreen plant with spiny zigzag stems, shiny leaves, and pale green flowers

rough bristlegrass
  • Specialized
9.6

A grass with rough, stiff seed heads that often grows as a weed

A quick simple sketch that shows the main ideas

rough pea
  • Specialized
8.8

A winter plant with weak stems that farmers use to cover soil and feed animals

7.1

A person who sleeps outside because they have no home

rough fish
  • Jargon
8.1

A fish people do not want to eat, catch, or use as bait

rough green snake
  • Specialized
8.4

A thin bright green snake with rough scales that is harmless and lives in the southern and eastern United States

rough horsetail
  • Specialized
9.6

An evergreen plant with rough, jointed stems that people use to scrub pans

A noisy, rough fight with little care for rules

rough-cut
  • Specialized
4.9

Shaped but not smoothed or fully finished

A cloth with a coarse, uneven surface that feels scratchy

rough-leaved aster
  • Specialized
9.5

A North American plant that lives for many years with rough hairy leaves and purple daisy-like flowers

rough-legged hawk
  • Specialized
7.0

A large Northern hawk with feathered legs that hunts small animals like mice

A person who speaks in a rude, harsh way

7.9

A plant from North America with rough stems and small yellow flowers

A surface that feels bumpy or not smooth to the touch

How Aggressive

brutal
  • NSFW
229 4.8
violent
  • Offensive
2.5
rough
68 5.4
aggressive
311 3.7
tough
5 7.5

Surface Forms

rough positive
rougher comparative
roughest superlative

Etymology

Rough began with old English ruh for 'coarse' and 'hard', which made it easy to use for people or places that are tough or ready for fights. That is why a 'rough' neighborhood means a place where people can be aggressive.