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rougher

American  
[ruhf-er] / ˈrʌf ər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that roughs or roughs out something, as certain crude cutting tools or a person who performs the first, rough parts of a process.

Etymology

Origin of rougher

First recorded in 1880–85; rough + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Add it all up, and the economy is poised for a rougher ride at least through the early summer.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

But in a 1989 profile by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, he has frizzy hair and rougher features.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

The U.S. labor market is ending 2025 on a sour note, with higher unemployment and shrinking wage growth, a dynamic that could potentially set up an even rougher 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

This creates a rougher texture and greater friction.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025

Patches of rougher and mare bristling green appeared in the valley.

From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.