roughly

adverb

rough·​ly ˈrə-flē 

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

• approximately
• about
• around

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

The surge in revenue also translated into hundreds of billions in losses for Americans who legally placed wagers in 2025 — an increase of roughly 11% from the previous year, according to the association’s figures. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2026

Georgia Power struck a deal with the PSC last year to freeze base rates through 2028, and the utility has a new plan that, if approved, could lower bills by roughly 1% starting this summer. —Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 29 Apr. 2026

The lawsuit now seeks roughly $161,000—including late fees, default interest and pre-judgment interest—plus attorney’s fees. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 29 Apr. 2026

Off the coast of Rhode IslandAP — Offshore wind turbines roughly three times the height of the Statue of Liberty were spinning far off the coast of Rhode Island on Thursday, sending clean electricity to the region. —Jennifer McDermott, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for roughly

• gruffly