have a rough time of it

verb

To have many problems; to have a difficult time.

Similar
have a bad time of ithave a poor time of it
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Meanings

verbhave a rough time of it (third-person singular simple present has a rough time of it, present participle having a rough time of it, simple past and past participle had a rough time of it)

present singular third person has a rough time of it · participle present having a rough time of it · participle past had a rough time of it · past had a rough time of it

  1. idiomaticinformalTo have many problems; to have a difficult time.

    Synonyms: have a bad time of it, have a poor time of it

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo have many problems; to have a difficult time.

Similar
have a bad time of ithave a poor time of it
Also see
have a bad time of ithave a hard time of ithave a poor time of it
Cite this entry
APA

have a rough time of it. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20a%20rough%20time%20of%20it

MLA

“have a rough time of it.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20a%20rough%20time%20of%20it. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “have a rough time of it,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20a%20rough%20time%20of%20it.

Source: have a rough time of it on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.