[also more rough; most rough] 1 : having a surface that is not even
▪ rough tree bark ▪ a cat's rough tongue ▪ He trimmed the rough edge of the paper. ▪ We traveled over rough dirt roads. ▪ They hiked through rough terrain/country. — opposite smooth 2 : having or causing sudden, violent movements
▪ a rough [=bumpy] ride on an old wooden roller coaster ▪ We were a bit shaken from the plane's rough landing. — opposite smooth 3 somewhat informal : difficult or unpleasant to deal with
▪ She's had a rough [=tough] life/year/time. ▪ He went through a rough patch/period after his divorce. ▪ They've hit a few rough spots in their marriage. ▪ Despite a rough start, the team won more games this season than last. ▪ I had a rough night last night. [=I did not sleep well] ▪ It was rough going [=things were difficult] for a while. ▪ Our ancestors had it rough [=had a difficult existence] compared to us. ▪ He's having a rough time (of it). = He's going through a rough time. [=he is having a difficult time; his life has been difficult recently] 4 : not calm : having large waves, strong winds, storms, etc.
▪ The sea is rough today. ▪ rough waters off the coast ▪ We ran into some rough [=stormy] weather. 5 : not gentle or careful : causing or likely to cause harm or injury
▪ These dishes are not made to withstand rough handling. ▪ The prisoners complained about rough treatment by the guards. ▪ She says the kids are too rough [=rowdy] when they play. ▪ He doesn't like rough sports like hockey. ▪ All right kids—no rough stuff. [=no behaving or playing in a rough way] ▪ Don't be so rough on them [=don't punish or criticize them so harshly] for making a mistake. 6 : having a lot of crime or danger
▪ I live in a pretty rough neighborhood/area. 7 : made or done in a way that is simple or that needs further changes, improvements, etc.
▪ He made a rough sketch of the house. ▪ They built a rough [=crude] shelter out of branches. ▪ He submitted a rough draft of the article. ▪ The project still has a few rough edges. [=the project still has a few things that need to be changed or finished] ▪ The design is still a bit rough around the edges. 8 always used before a noun : not precise or exact : not including all the details
▪ If I were to make a rough guess, I might say there were 100,000 people at the parade. ▪ a rough translation of a Chinese proverb ▪ This sketch will give you a rough idea of what the house looks like. 9 : having a harsh sound
▪ She has a rough voice. 10 Brit, informal : not well
▪ I'm feeling too rough to go out tonight.