Synonyms of rough

rough 1 of 3

adjective

ˈrəf 

1

as in uneven

not having a level or smooth surface

a rough board can give you splinters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• uneven
• jagged
• rugged
• broken
• ragged
• bumpy
• coarse
• irregular
• wavy
• roughened
• lumpy
• pebbly
• scraggy
• harsh
• lopsided
• rutted
• unbalanced
• undulating
• inexact
• pitted
• undulatory
• pocked
• unaligned
• rutty
• scratchy
• knobby
• nubby
• scraggly
• knobbly
• nonuniform
• knurled
• sandpapery
• nubbly
• burred
• knurly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• smooth
• flat
• uniform
• level
• even
• exact
• regular
• true
• plane
• aligned
• vertical
• horizontal
• straight
• tabular
• plumb
• flush

2

as in violent

marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity

rough waters that made sailing our sloop a little risky

Synonyms & Similar Words

• violent
• turbulent
• ferocious
• fierce
• furious
• volcanic
• vicious
• brutal
• explosive
• rabid
• tumultuous
• hot
• stormy
• tempestuous
• convulsive
• aggressive
• cyclonic
• savage
• paroxysmal
• volatile
• knock-down, drag-out
• hammer-and-tongs
• blood-and-guts
• contentious
• bang-bang
• hostile
• barbarous
• frantic
• destructive
• mad
• antagonistic
• pugnacious
• belligerent
• combative
• truculent
• assertive
• bellicose
• quarrelsome
• gladiatorial
• combustible
• frenzied
• agitated
• ruinous
• cataclysmal

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• peaceful
• peaceable
• calm
• nonviolent
• serene
• tranquil
• pacific
• halcyon
• unaggressive
• nonbelligerent

3

as in turbulent

marked by wet and windy conditions

at least wear a raincoat if you're going out into that rough weather

Synonyms & Similar Words

• turbulent
• bleak
• rainy
• snowy
• dirty
• stormy
• raw
• tempestuous
• inclement
• nasty
• foul
• squally
• gusty
• windswept
• windblown
• blustery
• breezy
• hazy
• misty
• murky
• overcast
• cloudy
• blowy
• foggy
• blustering
• soupy
• sunless

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clear
• fair
• bright
• sunny
• cloudless
• pleasant
• sunshiny
• unclouded
• calm
• peaceful
• clement
• serene
• placid
• balmy
• rainless
• halcyon

4

as in difficult

requiring considerable physical or mental effort

a forensics expert who willingly takes on rough assignments

Synonyms & Similar Words

• difficult
• tough
• challenging
• hard
• rigorous
• demanding
• formidable
• rugged
• heavy
• complicated
• sweaty
• severe
• arduous
• tall
• strenuous
• painful
• effortful
• grueling
• testing
• laborious
• uphill
• exhausting
• murderous
• intricate
• stiff
• exacting
• backbreaking
• toilsome
• complex
• killer
• herculean
• serious
• hellacious
• problematic
• brutal
• annoying
• grim
• pick-and-shovel
• elusive
• tricky
• stressful
• hairy
• stubborn
• tight
• bruising
• moiling
• abstract
• troublesome
• thorny
• oppressive
• involved
• knotty
• opaque
• Augean
• trying
• spiny
• onerous
• insoluble
• abstruse
• labored
• strict
• burdensome
• irksome
• ticklish
• recondite
• distressing
• bothersome
• cruel
• stringent
• vexatious
• taxing
• inhuman
• grievous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• simple
• soft
• light
• cheap
• clear
• effortless
• undemanding
• mindless
• elementary
• smooth
• facile
• manageable
• uncomplicated
• achievable
• gentle
• doable
• soothing
• comforting
• relaxed
• painless
• friendly
• accessible
• user-friendly
• idiotproof

5

as in tough

difficult to endure

I've had a rough time of it since I lost my job

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tough
• harsh
• hard
• brutal
• searing
• oppressive
• severe
• trying
• grim
• cruel
• rugged
• painful
• heavy
• bleak
• bitter
• onerous
• burdensome
• inhuman
• murderous
• excruciating
• stiff
• grievous
• uncomfortable
• unpleasant
• hardhanded
• bad
• strict
• inhospitable
• rigorous
• unbearable
• spartan
• austere
• stringent
• comfortless
• wild
• inclement
• overwhelming
• forbidding
• discomforting
• crushing
• agonizing
• biting
• intemperate
• tortuous
• wretched
• grinding
• harrowing
• heartbreaking
• disagreeable
• hostile
• intolerable
• insufferable
• unendurable
• unfriendly
• wearing
• heartrending
• insupportable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• soft
• light
• comfortable
• pleasant
• luxurious
• friendly
• cozy
• agreeable
• peaceful
• hospitable
• genial
• restful
• mild
• relaxing
• gentle
• moderate
• tolerable
• snug
• calm
• bearable
• painless
• temperate
• balmy
• reposeful
• endurable
• clement

6

as in gruff

harsh and threatening in manner or appearance

the rough faces of hardened criminals who had spent most of their lives behind bars

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gruff
• grim
• rugged
• intimidating
• stern
• fierce
• bleak
• severe
• hostile
• forbidding
• stark
• cold
• hardened
• dark
• lowering
• austere
• ungentle
• flinty
• dour
• stubborn
• steely
• somber
• solemn
• inhospitable
• determined
• black
• moody
• stiff
• hard
• unfriendly
• rigid
• bound
• unsympathetic
• resolute
• fixed
• unflinching
• adamant
• serious
• steadfast
• purposeful
• uncompromising
• resolved
• unrelenting
• inimical
• obstinate
• firm
• unyielding
• implacable
• intent
• unbending
• inflexible
• gloomy
• willful
• cheerless
• hardheaded
• obdurate
• immovable
• sullen
• unchangeable
• melancholy
• sulky
• surly
• joyless
• morose
• melancholic
• set
• sober
• immutable
• glum
• brooding
• staid
• mulish
• ironhanded
• grave
• humorless
• unsmiling
• weighty
• self-willed
• sobersided

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• mild
• gentle
• benign
• soft
• easy
• tender
• mellow
• quiet
• soothing
• bland
• meek
• benignant
• sweet
• pleasant
• tranquil
• agreeable
• bright
• cheerful
• nonintimidating
• happy
• pleasing
• glad
• merry
• sunny
• inviting
• silly
• lighthearted
• playful
• goofy
• mirthful
• frivolous
• giddy
• scatterbrained
• flighty
• harebrained
• featherbrained
• light-headed

7

as in clumsy

hastily or roughly constructed

made a rough camp as darkness fell over the forest

Synonyms & Similar Words

• clumsy
• crude
• rude
• imperfect
• flawed
• rough-and-tumble
• rough-and-ready
• unfinished
• primitive
• rudimentary
• defective
• unrefined
• artless
• rough-hewn
• amateur
• unpolished
• imprecise
• jerry-built
• jerry-rigged
• faulty
• jury-rigged
• inexact
• inartistic
• amateurish
• unprofessional
• unskilled
• undressed
• unworked
• unshaped
• unskillful
• inexpert
• unshapen

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• perfect
• refined
• polished
• finished
• meticulous
• neat
• flawless
• well-done
• skillful
• expert
• artistic
• sophisticated
• adept
• precise
• masterful
• exact
• masterly
• faultless
• artful
• perfected
• workmanlike
• practiced
• adroit
• dexterous

8

as in vulgar

lacking in refinement or good taste

he learned polite words to replace the rough language he had known growing up

Synonyms & Similar Words

• vulgar
• crass
• rude
• coarse
• common
• crude
• rugged
• unpolished
• gross
• clumsy
• low
• uncouth
• unrefined
• rough-hewn
• raffish
• uncultivated
• uncultured
• tasteless
• lowbrow
• insensible
• illiberal
• roughneck
• rustic
• ill-bred
• incult
• lowbred
• ungentlemanly
• boorish
• loutish
• clownish
• churlish
• unsophisticated
• insensitive
• thoughtless
• inconsiderate
• lumpish
• cloddish
• indelicate
• lubberly
• oafish
• provincial
• uncivilized
• countrified
• inelegant
• barbarous
• tacky
• barbaric
• graceless
• unmannered
• unmannerly
• mannerless
• animallike

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• smooth
• polished
• civilized
• refined
• cultured
• genteel
• cultivated
• tasteful
• aristocratic
• elegant
• graceful
• sensitive
• patrician
• courtly
• restrained
• well-bred
• ultrarefined
• thoughtful
• gracious
• sophisticated
• considerate
• urbane
• citified

9

as in shaggy

covered with or as if with hair

a face rough with a couple days' worth of beard

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shaggy
• hairy
• silky
• brushy
• hirsute
• furred
• bristly
• fluffy
• woolly
• unshorn
• furry
• cottony
• fleecy
• bearded
• fuzzy
• stubbly
• stubbled
• whiskered
• mustachioed
• bewhiskered
• downy
• nappy
• linty

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• smooth
• bald
• glabrous
• hairless
• shorn
• shaved
• shaven
• furless
• beardless

10

as in hairy

made of or resembling hair

a rough-coated dog who was always shedding his fur

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shaggy
• hairy
• fuzzy
• woolly
• fluffy
• puffy
• downy
• furry
• nappy
• hairlike

11

as in bumpy

marked by a series of sharp quick motions

a rough flight that left some passengers nauseated

Synonyms & Similar Words

• uneven
• bumpy
• choppy
• jerky
• unsteady
• jouncy
• herky-jerky
• erratic
• fitful
• spastic
• jagged
• ragged
• irregular
• spasmodic

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• smooth
• steady
• calm
• still
• placid

12

as in wild

marked by turmoil or disturbance especially of natural elements

after a rough week on the high seas, we were happy to sail through the gulf's more tranquil waters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• turbulent
• wild
• brutal
• rugged
• harsh
• tumultuous
• stormy
• bleak
• tempestuous
• violent
• severe
• raging
• blustery
• nasty
• unsettled
• raw
• inclement
• blustering
• unquiet
• roily
• squally

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• quiet
• calm
• peaceful
• serene
• tranquil
• placid
• clear
• fair
• bright
• sunny
• halcyon
• cloudless
• sunshiny
• unclouded
• clement

rough

2 of 3

noun

as in rowdy

Related Words

• tough
• rowdy
• ruffian
• thug
• hood
• roughneck
• hoodlum
• hooligan
• punk
• goon
• toughie
• tease
• cutthroat
• abuser
• harrier
• oppressor
• teaser
• torturer
• gangster
• harasser
• mocker
• heckler
• felon
• enemy
• persecutor
• mobster
• giber
• taunter
• mug
• racketeer
• baiter
• ridiculer
• needler
• gunman
• antagonist
• bully
• hector
• intimidator
• bullyboy

rough

3 of 3

verb

as in to chop

Related Words

• chop
• pummel
• whack
• hit
• lick
• knock
• smack
• slap
• cuff
• pelt
• clock
• pepper
• maul
• box
• crack
• rap
• mangle
• clip
• punch
• slog
• buffet
• thump
• paste
• belt
• slug
• bonk
• bump
• hammer
• batter
• scuff
• bob
• bang
• clap
• smite
• tag
• sock
• clobber
• bludgeon
• drub
• strike
• stroke
• pommel
• clout
• thwack
• bung
• bash
• bat
• lace
• whale
• slam
• bop
• beat
• zap
• lambaste
• nail
• swat
• bust
• pound
• swipe
• butt
• knee
• kick
• wallop
• push
• tap
• jostle
• deck
• flick
• biff
• knock down
• shove
• fell
• floor
• stamp
• poke
• jab
• cream
• bunt
• prod
• dump
• cane
• bowl (down or over)
• stab
• club
• slash
• level
• sucker punch
• sap
• flail
• lash
• brain
• sledge
• spear
• whip
• bean
• skull
• thrash
• cudgel
• flog
• switch
• rabbit-punch
• sledgehammer
• conk

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective rough contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rough are harsh, rugged, scabrous, and uneven. While all these words mean "not smooth or even," rough implies points, bristles, ridges, or projections on the surface.

a rough wooden board

In what contexts can harsh take the place of rough?

While in some cases nearly identical to rough, harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch.

a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

When is rugged a more appropriate choice than rough?

In some situations, the words rugged and rough are roughly equivalent. However, rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel.

a rugged landscape

Where would scabrous be a reasonable alternative to rough?

Although the words scabrous and rough have much in common, scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface.

a scabrous leaf

When might uneven be a better fit than rough?

The meanings of uneven and rough largely overlap; however, uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality.

an old house with uneven floors

How does the adjective rough contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rough are harsh, rugged, scabrous, and uneven. While all these words mean "not smooth or even," rough implies points, bristles, ridges, or projections on the surface.

a rough wooden board

In what contexts can harsh take the place of rough?

While in some cases nearly identical to rough, harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch.

a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

When is rugged a more appropriate choice than rough?

In some situations, the words rugged and rough are roughly equivalent. However, rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel.

a rugged landscape

Where would scabrous be a reasonable alternative to rough?

Although the words scabrous and rough have much in common, scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface.

a scabrous leaf

When might uneven be a better fit than rough?

The meanings of uneven and rough largely overlap; however, uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality.

an old house with uneven floors

How does the adjective rough contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rough are harsh, rugged, scabrous, and uneven. While all these words mean "not smooth or even," rough implies points, bristles, ridges, or projections on the surface.

a rough wooden board

In what contexts can harsh take the place of rough?

While in some cases nearly identical to rough, harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch.

a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

When is rugged a more appropriate choice than rough?

In some situations, the words rugged and rough are roughly equivalent. However, rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel.

a rugged landscape

Where would scabrous be a reasonable alternative to rough?

Although the words scabrous and rough have much in common, scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface.

a scabrous leaf

When might uneven be a better fit than rough?

The meanings of uneven and rough largely overlap; however, uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality.

an old house with uneven floors

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rough

Adjective

Can Williams rebound after a rough one-and-done in the Bronx? —D.j. Short, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026

During Maryland’s 74–66 second-round loss to North Carolina on Sunday, March 22, cameras caught head coach Brenda Frese getting in guard Oluchi Okananwa’s face on the sideline after a rough stretch. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026

Noun

Scheffler pushed his drive into the right fairway bunker on the par-4, could only advance the ball 54 yards into the left rough and gouged his third shot short of the green. —John Marshall, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2026

On Thursday, after a wayward drive landed in the left rough on the par-4 eighth hole, Rahm’s mood soured. —Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025

Verb

Jennings made the throw while getting drilled by All-Pro defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was flagged for roughing the passer. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 12 Jan. 2026

Booker was penalized for roughing the passer on the hit that sent Love into concussion protocol. —Steve Megargee, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2026

Phrases Containing rough

• in the rough
• rough (up)
• rough it