roughish

Variant of rough

rough definition

rough (ruf)

adjective

    1. not smooth or level; having bumps, projections, etc.; uneven a rough surface
    2. not easily traveled over or through because rocky, overgrown, wild, etc. rough country
  1. shaggy or bristly an animal with a rough coat
  2. characterized by violent action, motion, agitation, disturbance, or irregularity; specif.,
    1. stormy; tempestuous rough weather
    2. boisterous or disorderly rough play
  3. harsh, rude, brutal, etc.; not gentle or mild a rough temper
  4. sounding harsh; discordant; jarring
  5. tasting harsh or astringent rough wine
  6. coarse, as texture, cloth, food, etc.
  7. coarse in manner, tastes, etc.; lacking refinement or culture rough men, rough language
  8. lacking refinements, comforts, and conveniences the rough life of a pioneer
  9. not refined, polished, or prepared; natural, crude, etc. a rough diamond
  10. not finished, elaborated, perfected, etc. a rough sketch
  11. not worked out in detail; without claim to be exact or complete; approximate a rough estimate
  12. requiring muscular energy rather than skill or intelligence rough labor
  13. Informal difficult, severe, or disagreeable a rough time
  14. Phonet. articulated with an aspirate; having the sound (h)

Etymology: ME ruh, rugh < OE ruh, akin to Ger rauh < IE *reuk < base *reu-, to tear, tear out (> rug, rotten): prob. basic sense “hairy, woolly”

noun

  1. rough ground
  2. rough material or condition
  3. the rough part, aspect, etc. of something
  4. ☆ a rough sketch or draft
  5. Chiefly Brit. a rough person; rowdy; tough
  6. Golf any part of the course where grass, weeds, etc. are allowed to grow, uncut, forming a hazard or obstacle

adverb

  1. in a rough manner; roughly
  2. Brit. without shelter; outdoors to sleep rough

transitive verb

  1. to make rough; roughen: often with up
    1. to handle or treat roughly or brutally: usually with up
    2. Football, etc. to subject (an opponent) to intentional and unnecessary roughness
  2. to make, fashion, sketch, shape, or cut roughly: usually with in or out to rough out a scheme
  3. to apply some preparatory or preliminary process or treatment to

intransitive verb

  1. Rare to become rough
  2. to behave roughly a penalty for roughing

Related Forms:

rough Idioms

in the rough

in a rough or crude state

rough it

to live without customary comforts and conveniences, as in camping

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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