rough on, be
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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.
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.
QUIZ
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Words nearby rough on, be
Bernoulli trial, Bernoulli trials, Bernstein, Bernstein, Leonard, Bernstorff, rough on, be, Berra, berretta, berried, Berrigan, berry
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.