rough-spoken

[ ruhf-spoh-kuhn ]

/ ˈrʌfˈspoʊ kən /

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adjective

coarse or vulgar in speech.

QUIZ

TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of rough-spoken

First recorded in 1625–35

Words nearby rough-spoken

Rough Riders, rough-sawn, roughshod, rough sleeper, rough spin, rough-spoken, rough stuff, rough trade, rough up, rough-voiced, rough-winged swallow

How to use rough-spoken in a sentence

Scalise never would have spoken to EURO had Duke been there in person.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Terrorism is bad news anywhere, but especially rough on Odessa, where the city motto seems to be “make love, not war.”
Is Putin Turning to Terrorism in Ukraine?|Anna Nemtsova|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The kids had a gift for him too, a tee shirt with ‘Baseball Spoken Here’ stenciled across the front.
Mario Cuomo, Always Moving Us Toward the Light|Mike Barnicle|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Over dinner, the Knight had mentioned that Scalise had spoken before the EURO event.
GOP Boss Gets Help From ‘White Hate’ Pal|Tim Mak|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Gurley was gunned down on Nov. 20, when a pair of cops was patrolling the rough housing project.
Protesters Demand Justice For Gurley As Gap Grows Between Cops and NYC|M.L. Nestel|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Of course the expression of this value is modified and characterized by the nature of the thing spoken of.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
On the morning after Ramona's disappearance, words had been spoken by each which neither would ever forget.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
And for fear of being ill spoken of weep bitterly for a day, and then comfort thyself in thy sadness.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
She was not accustomed to an outward and spoken expression of affection, either in herself or in others.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Mrs. Vivian had hardly spoken when the sharp little vibration of her door-bell was heard in the hall.
Confidence|Henry James

British Dictionary definitions for rough-spoken

rough-spoken

adjective

rude or uncouth in speech; blunt

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012