take the rough with the smooth

Idioms

Accept the bad along with the good, as in You can't expect to close a lot of sales every week—you have to take the rough with the smooth. This adage was first recorded about 1400. Also see take the bitter with the sweet.

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.

Manchester City’s uncertain future: City and its fans have to take the rough with the smooth — their success would not have been possible without the 2008 takeover.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2023

“It’s been a frustrating year but that’s the game of golf we know and love and you’ve got to take the rough with the smooth and keep trying.”

From Reuters • Nov. 13, 2015

"If corporations want to be people, they should have to take the rough with the smooth," Oliver says.

From The Verge • Jul. 1, 2014

Yes, I know the reflexive response: these guys ask for the job, they have to take the rough with the smooth, it’s all part of the game.

From Time • May 7, 2012

Ah! that’s nothing! you must take the rough with the smooth.

From The Young Berringtons The Boy Explorers by Kingston, William Henry Giles

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