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Glite Dictionary
to roughen up the edges

to roughen up the edges

1 6.3
To make the edges less smooth by creating small uneven parts
  • phrasal verb
: rugosear los bordes
  • She used sandpaper to roughen up the edges of the wooden shelf.

Examples

  • The designer chose to roughen up the edges of the poster for a vintage look.

  • He liked to roughen up the edges of his sketches so they felt less formal.

  • Please roughen up the edges of the paper.

  • The artist decided to roughen up the edges of the canvas.

  • The carpenter used a chisel to roughen up the edges of the table for a rustic appearance.

  • To create a more natural look, the sculptor chose to roughen up the edges of the marble statue.

  • Before painting, she decided to roughen up the edges of the canvas to give it more character.

Synonyms

to ruffle
vsto roughen up the edges
8 4.2

Disturb a smooth surface so small waves appear

aims to make irregular edges and uneven perimeter rather than rippling effects
to coarsen
vsto roughen up the edges
5 6.5

Make or become rough in texture and manners

focuses on adding edge irregularities to change appearance rather than broad refinement
to rough-hew
vsto roughen up the edges
  • Specialized
4 9.9

To shape wood or stone without smoothing the surface

aims to add irregular edges for appearance rather than primary shaping
to roughen
vsto roughen up the edges
1 4.2

To make a surface not smooth so it feels bumpy

targets irregularities along edges to reduce smooth polished appearance
to ruffle up
vsto roughen up the edges
1 4.2

To make a smooth surface uneven or wrinkled

creates irregular edge details rather than small waves or wrinkles
to roughen up
vsto roughen up the edges
  • Informal
1 5.7

To make a surface not smooth or a person tougher

focuses on creating irregular edges to reduce smooth polished appearance
to scarify
vsto roughen up the edges
  • Specialized
1 9.2

To make small cuts in seed coats so they take in water and grow

adds irregular perimeter features for visual unpolished appearance not to aid growth
to roughcast
vsto roughen up the edges
8.1

To make a rough basic shape before finishing it

creates irregular perimeter details to make something look less polished

Antonyms

to refine
68 4.0

Make something better by making a few small changes

to smooth out
  • Specialized
1 4.2

Remove small random changes in data to show the main trend

How Rough

to chip at
1 3.9
to roughen up the edges
1 6.3
to scuff
13 3.6

Surface Forms

roughen up the edges infinitive
roughened up the edges past
roughened up the edges past participle
roughening up the edges present participle
roughens up the edges third person singular

Morphology

roughen + up + the + edge

The meaning is directly compositional: 'roughen' (make rough) applied to 'the edges' clearly yields making the edges less smooth, with 'up' functioning as an intensifying particle. This verb + particle + noun pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Roughen up the edges comes from a simple craft image. Imagine using sandpaper to roughen up the edges of wood or paper so they become rough and not smooth, giving a handmade or older look. So, the phrase means 'to make something feel less smooth or perfect'.