■ adjective
1》 having an uneven or irregular surface; not smooth or level.
2》 not gentle; violent or boisterous: ~ treatment.
↘(of weather or the sea) wild and stormy.
3》 not finished tidily; plain and basic.
↘unsophisticated or unrefined.
4》 not detailed or fully worked out: a ~ draft of his new novel.
↘not precise; approximate: a ~ guess.
5》 (of a voice) harsh.
↘(of wine or another alcoholic drink) sharp or harsh in taste.
6》 informal difficult and unpleasant.
■ noun
1》 chiefly Brit. a disreputable and violent person.
2》 (on a golf course) the area of longer grass around the fairway and the green.
3》 a preliminary sketch.
4》 an uncut precious stone.
■ verb
1》 work or shape in a ~, preliminary fashion.
2》 make uneven.
3》 ( ~ it ) informal live in discomfort with only basic necessities.
4》 ( ~ someone up ) informal beat someone up.
Phrases
bit of ~ informal a male sexual partner whose toughness or lack of sophistication is a source of attraction.
in the ~
1》 in a natural state; untreated or undecorated.
2》 in difficulties.
~ and ready imprecise but effective.
↘unsophisticated or unrefined.
the ~ edge (or side ) of one's tongue a scolding.
~ edges small imperfections.
~ justice treatment that is not scrupulously fair or in accordance with the law.
sleep ~ Brit. sleep in uncomfortable conditions, typically out of doors.
take the ~ with the smooth accept the unpleasant aspects of life as well as the good.
Derivatives
~ish adjective
~ness noun
Origin
OE rūh , of W. Gmc origin.