in the rough

prepositional phrase

In an unwrought, unrefined, or unfinished condition; unpolished.

“an artist's sketch in the rough”

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. In an unwrought, unrefined, or unfinished condition; unpolished.

    an artist's sketch in the rough

    1 more example

    contemplating the people in the rough

    1856, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Sixth Book”, in Aurora Leigh, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1857, →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
in the raw
Cite this entry
APA

in the rough. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20rough

MLA

“in the rough.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20rough. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in the rough,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20rough.

Source: in the rough on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.