rough trot
1
8.1
- noun
- Informal
:
trayecto difícil
- The horse stumbled during a rough trot, making the journey more challenging for the riders.
Examples
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But the Grant boys have had a rough trot.
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The experienced riders shared stories about their rough trot on the trail last summer.
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After a rough trot through the stormy weather, the group finally reached the stable.
Synonyms
A time when a team or person keeps getting bad results
Antonyms
How Difficult
Surface Forms
Morphology
The combination 'rough' + 'trot' is largely compositional: a B1 learner who knows 'rough' (difficult, harsh) and 'trot' (a gait/ride) can readily infer a bumpy or uncomfortable ride. However, the extended metaphorical sense of 'a difficult period or experience' requires mapping 'trot' from a literal gait to an abstract episode, which is not fully predictable without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Rough trot comes from riding a horse: a trot is the way a horse moves faster than a walk, and when it is rough the rider is shaken and has a bumpy, hard ride. So, rough trot now means 'a difficult or uncomfortable time'.