rough
part of speech
adjective (rough, rougher, roughest); adverb (rough — informal); noun (the rough); verb (rough it, rough out)
meaning for a pupil
1) Rough means not smooth; a rough surface is bumpy or uneven when you touch it. tree →
2) Rough means not gentle; using too much force. tree →
3) Rough means not exact or not finished, like a rough guess or a rough drawing. tree →
4) Rough weather or sea is stormy, with big waves and wind. tree →
5) Rough means difficult or unpleasant, like a rough day. tree →
6) Feeling rough (UK) means feeling ill. tree →
7) To rough it is to live without comforts, as when camping. tree →
8) Rough can also mean not polished or refined, lacking fine manners or style. tree →
sense in the lessons
In science, rough surfaces make more friction than smooth ones (sandpaper, tyre treads), so things slide less. In maths, a rough estimate or rough answer is an approximate one, often found by rounding. In writing, a «rough draft» is the first try before the final copy. In safety, rough seas mean stay out of the water, and rough play can hurt people. Phrases: «rough and tumble», «rough estimate», «rough copy», «rough draft», «rough sea», «sleep rough» (sleep outdoors without a home).
examples
- The bark of the tree feels rough. tree →
- Sandpaper is rough, but glass is smooth. tree →
- Don't be rough with the puppy. tree →
- Make a rough estimate before you calculate. tree →
- Write a rough draft first, then check it. tree →
- The sea was too rough for swimming. tree →
- I've had a rough day. tree →
- Rough surfaces create more friction. tree →
- "It was a little rough--it wanted elegance." tree →
note
The «gh» sounds like «f»: «ruff». Comparative rougher, superlative roughest; adverb roughly («roughly 50» = about 50). Opposite: smooth (surface), gentle (behaviour), exact (number), calm (sea). In maths, «roughly» or «rough» means approximately.
In the corpora
- A rough patch is a hard time in a relationship, with more arguing or unhappiness, and many couples come through it.
- A demo is a rough first recording made to show the idea of a song; it does not need to sound perfect.
- A cow wraps its long rough tongue round grass because it has no top front teeth, only a hard pad.
- There are real reports of dolphins staying near swimmers in danger, but dolphins are wild animals with big teeth and can be rough.
- After supper there is a heavy knock: Badger, muddy and rough from nights outdoors.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «rough» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.