roughly

adverb

rough·​ly ˈrə-flē How to pronounce roughly (audio)
Synonyms of roughlynext
1
: in a rough manner: such as
a
: with harshness or violence
treated the prisoner roughly
b
: in crude fashion : imperfectly
roughly dressed lumber
2
: without completeness or exactness : approximately
roughly 20 percent

Synonyms of roughly

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Examples of roughly in a Sentence

Roughly translated, it means “hurry up!”. The new product is modeled roughly on an earlier design. He threw the package roughly in the truck. The guard told us roughly that we had to stand back.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By debt, Arora means that roughly $1 trillion of infrastructure is still out there from the pre-generative AI era and not ready for what's coming. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 In have come eight players — all 24 or under — for roughly £300m, add-ons included, making Newcastle the fourth-highest global spenders. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Bonnell says the battery can be swapped in roughly 30 seconds. — New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026 At One Beverly Hills, Green said roughly 60 percent of the commercial space is already committed. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for roughly

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of roughly was in the 14th century

Rhymes for roughly

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Browse Nearby Words

rough lumber
roughly
rough-machine
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Cite this Entry

“Roughly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roughly. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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