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rough on, be

  1. Be harmful to or difficult for, as in The harsh winter has been rough on the highways , or Their divorce was rough on the whole family .

  2. Treat harshly, be severe with, as in The police have been very rough on house-breakers , or Don't be too rough on Sam; he's only a child . Both colloquial usages date from the second half of the 1800s.



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BernstorffBerra