The sea got rough, so that we had to give up fishing.
Source: tatoeba (22262)
Rough
/ɹʌf/
Synonyms for "rough" (848 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (170)
Adjective(36 words)
approximatecrudeharshabrasiveabrasive toneamateurishangriestapproximate locationapproximate logicapproximate methodapproximate ruleapproximativeasperbarbarousbarbarous communitiesboisterousbotchybrasherbumpierbumpiest
abruptabstruseabuseacerbacerbicacidacidulousacridacrimoniousacuteaggressiveagitatedamaroidalangularapproximatearduousarrestedarrivisteasperousassault
Show 97 more words
astringentattackausterebabbittbackbackwardbadbarbarianbarbaricbatterbattlerbearishbeastlybeat upbelaborbelligerentbelted knightbickererbitingbitterbitter as gallbladeblock outblueprintbluffbluntblusteringblusteryboisterousboorbossbouncybounderbourgeoisbrashbrassybravobrawlerbrazenbriefbroadbrokenbroken groundbroken waterbrokenlybrouillonbruisebrusquebrutalbrutallybrutishlybuckobuffetbullybullyboybumpycacophonouscadcapriciouscareeningcartooncatchycausticcavalierchangeablechangingchartchokedchopchoppilychoppychurlchurlishclowncoarsecoarse-grainedcoarsencombatantcompetitorcomplexcontendercontestantcopycorduroycorduroy roadcorrugatedcorrugationcrackedcraggedcraggycrasscriticalcroakingcroakycross grainedcross-grainedcrude
Adverb(1 words)
Noun(8 words)
Verb(5 words)
Strong matches (254)
Adjective(36 words)
crudercrudestdirt-road routedraft copydraftierestimatedestimated valueestimated valuesfiercefreehand measurementfrictional weargnarliestgrainy texturegratinggravellygrittiestgruffergrungyhackishhaphazard counting
Show 16 more words
hempenimpreciseinaccurateinaccurate reportinexactinexact unitinformal guessingirregular cutirregular edgeirregular shapesirregularityjaggedjaggedestjoltingjoltyjumpy
cruelcrustycursorycurtcutthroatcuttingdelicatedelineationdemandingdesigndesperadodesultorydeviatingdeviativedeviatorydevildiagramdifferentdifficiledifficult
Show 174 more words
dirtydisconnecteddiscontinuousdiscordantdiscourteousdisorderlydisputantdisrespectfuldivaricatedivergentdiversifieddo violence todo wrong bydo wrong todouble edgeddouble-edgeddourdraftdrasticdraughtdraughtsmandraughtydrawingdryduelistearthyebaucheeccentricedgedelevationembryonicenforcerepiciereroseerraticescharoticesquisseexactingexcessiveexorbitantextravagantextremefencerfeuderfiercefighterfighting cockfigurefirmfitfulflickeringfluctuatingfoggyfoilsmanformidableformlessfoulfuriousgamecockgaudygeneralgladiatorgnarlgoongoose bumpsgoose pimplesgoosefleshgorillagrainedgrainygranulargranulategranulatedgraphgratinggreatgrimgrittygrossground plangroundlinggruffgunmangutteringguttersnipegutturalhairyhaltinghardhard earnedhard foughthard-earnedhard-foughtharshharsh-soundingharum scarumharum-scarumhastyhatchet manhazyheavyhell raiserhell-raiserhellcatherculeanherky-jerkyheteroclitehoarsehomespunhoodhoodlumhooliganhorripilanthorripilatehorripilationhouse planhuskyichnographyill-bredill-bred fellowill-manneredill-treatill-useimmethodicalimmoderateimperfectimpoliteimproperimpulsivein embryoin ovoin the roughincisiveinclementincompleteinconsiderateinconsistentinconstantindecentindecorousindelicateinelegantinequalinexactinharmoniousinjureintemperateintenseintermittentintermittingintricateironboundirregularirregularlyirritatingjaggedjaggedlyjarringjawbreakingjerkyjoggletyjogglingjogglyjoltingjoltyjousterkeenkillerknightknobknock aboutknock-down-and-drag-outknockaboutknotted
Noun(14 words)
Verb(5 words)
Related words (424)
knottylaboriouslambastelay onlinsey-woolseyloobylooseloploudloutloutishlowlow fellowlumpylurchingmad dogmalodorousmaltreatmanhandlemark out
Show 298 more words
maulmeanmercilessmercurialmeretriciousmetallicmilitantmiscreantmishandlemistreatmock-upmolestmordaciousmordantmotleymuckermugmutableno picnicnonconformistnonstandardnonuniformnose ticklingnose-ticklingnot easynouveau richeobsceneoperoseoutlineoutrageoutrageousoversimpleparvenupatchypatternpeasantpenetratingphilistinepicnicpiercingpimplepimplypiquantpittedplotplug uglyplug-uglypluralisticpockypoignantpommelpornographicpotholedprimitiveprofileprojectionproximatepummelpungentpunkquarrelerquickraggedraggedlyragingramblingrambunctiousrampageousrankraspingraucidraucousrawreductionisticreductiveregrettableribaldridiculousrigorousrioterrippleripplyrivalroiledroisterousrollickingropyrottenrough draftrough uprough-and-readyrough-and-tumblerough-castrough-grainedrough-hewnroughcastroughenroughhewnroughlyroughneckroundroupyrowdyruderudimentalrudimentaryruffianruffledruggedrusticrustyruttedruttysabreursandpapersavagesavagelyscabrousscalyscathingscraggyscrapperscrappyscratchscufflerset with thornsseveresexyshaggedshaggyshapelesssharpshortsimplisticskeletonsketchsketchyslavishsmuttysnatchysnippysolidsourspartanspasmaticspasmicspasmodicspasticspinysplittingsporadicspottysquabblersquawkingsquawkystabbingstaggeringsteepstentoriansternstertorousstickystiffstingingstormystrangledstreetfighterstrenuousstridentstridulousstringentstrongstrong armstrong-arm manstrong-armerstrugglerstudstuntedsurlyswashbucklerswordswordplayerswordsmantabletactlesstarttempestuoustexturedthickthornythrashthroatythugticklishtighttiltertinnytoilsometoughtracetrenchanttricksytrickytruculenttryingturbulenttusslerunbecomingunblownuncertainunciviluncivilizeduncompletedunconscionableuncouthuncultivateduncultureduncutundecorousunderdevelopedundevelopedundressedunequableunequalunevenunevenlyunfairunfashionedunfeelingunfinishedunformedunfortunateungentleungentlemanlyungodlyungraciousunhewnunjustunkemptunlaboredunladylikeunlevelunlickedunluckyunmethodicalunmetricalunmusicalunorthodoxunpleasantunpolishedunprocessedunrefinedunregularunrhythmicalunseemlyunsettledunshapedunsmoothunsparingunstableunsteadyunsystematicuntowarduntreatedununiformunworkedunwroughtuphillupstartvaguevariablevariegatedvariformvariousvaryingveeringvehementvenomousviolentviolentlyvirulentvitriolicvulgarvulgarianvulgaristwallopwanderingwashboardwaveringwickedwildwimpledwobblingwobblyworking drawingwrangleryahooyokel
Adjective(63 words)
loose fileslow microscopicitymakeshiftnearpebbledpebblypimpledprimitive artprimitive civilizationprimitive weaponpugnaciousquick sketchraggederraggediestraggedyramshackle arrangementraspierraspiestraspingraspy
Show 43 more words
raw data valuesraw woolrockierrockyrough estimaterough guessworkroughestroughishroughnessroundedroundishruffianlyruggedruggednessscrappierscrappiestscratchiestscratchysketchiersketchieststormierstormy seastextural classtroubledtroublousunadjusteduncalibrated weighingunceremoniousuncrafty artuncutundetermined massunevenunfinished sketchunmade decisionsunplaned stockunpolished societyunpolished stoneunrefined timberunsandedunsculpted formunsmoothwartierwartlike
Noun(23 words)
physical toy modelplunkingprimitiveraw survey resultsrougheningroundrugged coastsandpaperingscagsscouringscratchscratchingscrawledscribblingscrumpysharkskinshoving gesturesketch diagramsnapshot datathe crude
Show 3 more words
uncooked foodwild guesswireframe layout
Adverb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: approximate, crude, harsh, abrasive, abrasive.
- Sentence evidence is available for rough, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, wiktionary, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "rough".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "rough"
Keep "rough" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "rough" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "rough", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "rough" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesMore specific
11 entriesabrasive remarkballpark figurebumpy surfacecoarse texturecoarsenessjagged edgerough calculationrough guessrough handlingruggednessunevenness
Collocations
8 entriesrough draftrough edgerough estimaterough roadrough surfacerough terrainrough texturerough weather
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
115 entriesShowing 16 of 115 words.
Sample sentences
41 total sentences available.
We had a rough crossing on an old ferry.
Source: tatoeba (23009)
We had a rough time.
Source: tatoeba (23145)
My job search is really going rough. I don't have any connections.
Source: tatoeba (25541)
Showing 4 of 41 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "rough"?
Closest matches include approximate, crude, harsh, abrasive, abrasive.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "rough"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.