English Words Starting With R

• rough diamond

  nounB2
  /ˌrʌf ˈdaɪə.mənd/A person who has admirable qualities or potential but lacks refinement or polished manners.
• rough fish

  nounLow (C2)
  /ˈrʌf ˌfɪʃ/A freshwater fish species that is not typically pursued by anglers for sport, nor is it highly valued as food. It often refers to fish that are considered less desirable, difficult to catch on conventional tackle, or detrimental to sport fish populations.
• rough lemon

  nounLow
  /ˌrʌf ˈlɛmən/A specific variety of lemon (Citrus jambhiri) characterized by a thick, bumpy, and textured rind, a strong, acidic flavour, and often used as a rootstock in horticulture.
• rough lock

  nounC1-C2
  /ˈrʌf ˌlɒk/To hastily engage a basic mechanism or put something in a state of minimal stability or safety.
• rough music

  nounC2/Rare
  /ˌrʌf ˈmjuːzɪk/A loud, discordant, often deliberately hostile din created by a group of people, historically as a form of public shaming or protest against someone in the community.
• rough out

  verbC1/C2
  /rʌf ˈaʊt/To create the basic or preliminary form, version, or outline of something; to sketch or block out before adding detail.
• rough passage

  nounB2-C1
  /rʌf ˈpæs.ɪdʒ/A difficult or dangerous journey across water.
• rough puff pastry

  nounMedium-Low
  /ˌrʌf ˈpʌf ˈpeɪ.stri/A type of pastry made by folding and rolling butter into a dough, creating distinct layers when baked, but with a quicker, less meticulous method than classic puff pastry.
• rough riders

  plural-nounLow to medium, primarily in historical or literary contexts.
  /ˌrʌf ˈraɪdəz/A volunteer cavalry regiment in the Spanish-American War, notably led by Theodore Roosevelt.
• rough sleeper

  nounB2
  /ˌrʌf ˈsliːpə(r)/A person who sleeps in the open, typically in public spaces, because they have no home or access to shelter.
• rough spin

  nounLow
  /rʌf spɪn/A difficult, unpolished, or biased attempt or interpretation of something.
• rough stuff

  nounC1
  /ˌrʌf ˈstʌf/Aggressive, violent, or physically harsh behavior or treatment.
• rough trade

  nounC2
  /ˌrʌf ˈtreɪd/An aggressive, tough, or violent sexual partner, typically a working-class male; also used historically for tough, unskilled manual labor, often involving physical risk.
• rough up

  verbC1
  /ˌrʌf ˈʌp/To physically attack someone, typically causing minor injury or discomfort, often as intimidation.
• rough-and-tumble

  adjectivenounC1
  /ˌrʌf ən ˈtʌmbl̩/A disorderly, physical struggle or fight, often involving pushing, shoving, and wrestling, typically not intended to cause serious harm.
• rough-dry

  adjectiveverbverb-transitiveC1/C2
  /ˌrʌf ˈdraɪ/To dry (laundry or fabric) without smoothing, ironing, or pressing.
• rough-hew

  verbverb-transitiveLow
  /rʌf ˈhjuː/To shape something from raw material in a coarse, preliminary way, especially with an axe or similar tool.
• rough-legged buzzard

  nounLow
  /ˌrʌfˌlɛɡɪd ˈbʌzəd/A large bird of prey (Buteo lagopus), a type of hawk, notable for having feathers covering its legs down to the feet.
• rough-legged hawk

  nounLow
  /ˌrʌfˌlɛɡɪd ˈhɔːk/A large bird of prey (Buteo lagopus) of Arctic and northern regions, with feathered legs down to its feet.
• rough-winged swallow

  nounRare (Specialist/Technical)
  /ˌrʌf.wɪŋd ˈswɒləʊ/A small species of swallow bird with small stiff feathers (barbules) on the leading edge of its wing, giving the edge a rough or jagged appearance.

Showing 5121–5140 of 5802 words.