rough out

British  

verb

1. See rough

2. engineering to machine (a workpiece, such as a casting or forging) with heavy cuts leaving a rough surface to be finished

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rough out Idioms  

1. Also, rough in. Prepare or indicate in unfinished form, as in He roughed out several plans for a merger, or They roughed in where the doors would go without checking with the architect. [Second half of 1700s]

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Example Sentences

It is rough out there for job seekers, unless they are looking for work in healthcare.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

"When you're shopping for a big family like mine, it's rough out here," she told the BBC while shopping for groceries and taking children to appointments across town.

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2024

“It’s rough out here. There’s no bathroom or water, you’re nauseous all the time,” Darby, 40, said.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2023

“It’s been rough out here,” he told me.

From Slate • Jun. 14, 2023

But in my writing life, I at least have some notion of procedure: do the research, make the outline, rough out a draft, etc.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich