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).

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rough it

“I don’t think you can realize how how rough it is, how devastating it is, until you see it,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2025

While that includes people sleeping rough, it also includes people such as those who:

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2023

If I would have to rough it a little to make this trip possible, so be it.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 25, 2022

“It was rough, it was burned out, a shell of what it used to be 20 to 30 years prior,” said Adam Rinn, who grew up in the area and is Mr. Zigun’s designated successor.

From New York Times ● Jan. 5, 2022

The wood was so rough it scraped my knuckles like sandpaper.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben