roughly
gb/ɹˈʌfli/ us/ɹˈʌfli/
B1
English
~ 8400
körülbelül, durván, elnagyoltan, durvára, nagyjából
B1
1
körülbelül
A2
Usage pattern:
roughly [number/amount/time]
There were roughly 200 people at the concert.
A koncerten körülbelül kétszázan voltak.
The project will take roughly six months to complete.
A projekt körülbelül hat hónap alatt készül el.
The repairs should cost roughly five hundred euros.
The two houses are roughly the same size.
Roughly one-third of the students failed the exam.
Learner examples
The bus comes every day at roughly eight o'clock.
A busz mindennap körülbelül nyolc órakor jön.
Tickets are roughly twenty dollars each.
A jegyek darabonként körülbelül húsz dollárba kerülnek.
The journey takes roughly two hours by train.
There are roughly fifty students in my class.
My office is roughly ten minutes from here.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "roughly" with "hardly". "Roughly" means "about; approximately" (Roughly 100 people = about 100 people). "Hardly" means "almost not" (Hardly 100 people = far fewer than 100). Another mistake is placing "roughly" too far from the number; it most often comes directly before the number or amount (say "roughly ten minutes", not "ten minutes roughly it takes").
Meaning
approximately; about; around
Collocations
roughly the same
|roughly equal to
|roughly one-third
|roughly half
|costs roughly fifty dollars
|takes roughly ten minutes
Synonyms
approximately (More formal and technical; common in written English, especially science and reports.)
|
about (Very common and informal; used in most everyday situations instead of "roughly".)
|
around (Informal and conversational; often interchangeable with "roughly" before numbers.)
Antonyms
exactly (Stresses that the number or amount is completely precise, with no difference.)
|
precisely (More formal; emphasizes a very high level of accuracy.)
Themes
numbers
|time
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to say that a number, amount, size, or time is not exact, but close to the real one.
Used to indicate that a number, amount, size, or time is not exact but close to the true value.
B2
2
durván
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] [does something] roughly
The guard grabbed him roughly by the arm.
Az őr durván karon ragadta.
She was roughly pushed out of the bar by the bouncers.
A kidobók durván kituszkolták a bárból.
The teacher spoke roughly to the boy after he lied.
Protesters complained that the police had treated them roughly.
He roughly shook the bottle before opening it.
Learner examples
The man pulled the child roughly across the street.
A férfi durván átrángatta a gyereket az úttesten.
Do not talk so roughly to your parents.
Ne beszélj ilyen durván a szüleiddel.
The boy was roughly pushed to the ground.
He took my bag roughly and threw it on the floor.
She closed the door roughly and walked away.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this meaning is about numbers, like the approximate sense. If a person is "treated roughly", it does not mean "treated approximately" but "treated in a hard or violent way". Also, "rough" as an adjective is more common (a rough man, rough behavior); "roughly" here describes HOW the action is done, not the person.
Meaning
in a harsh or violent way
Collocations
treat someone roughly
|grab someone roughly
|push roughly
|shake someone roughly
|speak roughly to someone
|handle someone roughly
Synonyms
harshly (Emphasizes unkind or severe behavior, especially in speaking or judging.)
|
violently (Stronger; stresses physical force or aggression more than "roughly".)
|
brutally (Very strong; suggests cruelty and extreme lack of care for others' feelings or safety.)
Antonyms
gently (Focuses on being soft and careful, the opposite of using force or being rough.)
|
softly (Often describes speech or touch done in a quiet, light way, not hard or rough.)
Themes
behavior
|violence
|emotions
|communication
|relationships
Definition
In a hard, not gentle way that can hurt someone or feel unkind.
In a way that is harsh, violent, or not gentle, especially in how someone is treated or spoken to.
B2
3
Usage pattern:
[someone] [does/makes/draws/cuts] [something] roughly
The vegetables were roughly chopped and thrown into the pot.
A zöldségeket durvára vágták, majd beledobták a fazékba.
He drew a roughly circular shape on the board.
Egy nagyjából kör alakú formát rajzolt a táblára.
They made a roughly built shelter from branches and plastic sheets.
She roughly sketched the layout of the new office.
The path was roughly paved with stones of different sizes.
Learner examples
He roughly cut the paper with old scissors.
Egy régi ollóval elnagyoltan vágta el a papírt.
The map was roughly drawn with a pen.
A térképet elnagyoltan rajzolták meg tollal.
She roughly cleaned the room in five minutes.
We built a roughly made table for the garden.
The cake was roughly shaped but it tasted good.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with the "harsh" sense. If you say "the door was roughly painted", it usually means it was painted in a quick, not smooth way, not that anyone was hurt. If a person is the object ("treated roughly"), it usually refers to harsh treatment; if an object or surface is the object ("roughly cut bread"), it usually refers to lack of smoothness or care.
Meaning
without care; not precisely
Collocations
roughly cut
|roughly drawn
|roughly sketched
|roughly made
|roughly shaped
|roughly carved
Synonyms
crudely (Often suggests something was done very simply and without skill or style.)
|
roughly (Baseline term; neutral description without strong negative judgment.)
|
carelessly (Focuses more on not paying attention than on the physical unevenness.)
Antonyms
carefully (Stresses attention and effort to do something well and accurately.)
|
neatly (Describes something done in a clean, orderly, and tidy way.)
|
smoothly (Focuses on an even surface or movement without bumps or breaks.)
Themes
appearance
|work
|art
|core_vocabulary
Definition
In a way that is not smooth or careful, so it looks or feels simple, uneven, or unfinished.
In a way that is not smooth, careful, or detailed, often showing an irregular or unfinished quality.
Grammar
Dictionary form
roughly
IPA
GB/ɹˈʌfli/
US/ɹˈʌfli/
Syllables & stress
roughly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (roughly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: roughly
- Plural: roughlies
Word family
Expressions
roughly speaking
1/ɹˈʌfli spˈikɪŋ/
fixed phrase
generally, but not exactly
Used before a sentence to show that what you say is only generally true and not exact in every detail.
Examples
- Roughly speaking, the company doubled its profits last year.
- Roughly speaking, there are three main types of smartphones on the market.
- Roughly speaking, this plan will cost us half as much as the old one.