rough it

Idioms  

1. Do without the usual comforts and conveniences, as in We spent our vacation roughing it in a log cabin. This idiom was first recorded in 1768. Mark Twain used it as the title of an account of his experiences in Nevada (Roughing It, 1872).

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rough it

Shekhar, who neglected to pack a razor blade and asks to borrow one, is persuaded not to shave after polling his friends, who also intend, at first, to rough it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

"If we have to rough it, we will."

From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025

If anything, I’ve tried to rough it up because I know I sound smooth, and I always wanted to be more like Ray Charles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2024

While the city cleared at least one of those large camps, some people have decided to rough it outside this winter instead of seeking shelter.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 10, 2023

Junior said, “They don’t have any idea how rough it was.”

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---