rough start

Meanings

1. 1phrasecountableinformal

   A beginning that is difficult, unsuccessful, or full of problems.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a rough start' or 'a rough start to the day'. It often follows 'get off to' or 'have'.

   Patterns

   • a rough start to something
   • get off to a rough start
   • have a rough start

   The project got off to a rough start when the main computer crashed.

   After a rough start, the team managed to win the game.

   She had a rough start in her new job, but now she loves it.

2. 2phrasecountableinformal

   A bad beginning to a period of time, such as a day, week, or year.

   Grammar: Often used with 'to': 'a rough start to the morning'.

   Patterns

   • a rough start to the day
   • a rough start to the year
   • a rough start to the season

   I spilled coffee on my shirt, so it was a rough start to the day.

   The company had a rough start to the year because of the bad weather.

   Despite a rough start to the season, the team is now in first place.

Common combinations

get off to a rough start

The meeting got off to a rough start because the presenter was late.

have a rough start

They had a rough start in their new house, with plumbing problems.

a rough start to the day

Missing the bus made it a rough start to the day.

after a rough start

After a rough start, the business began to grow.

Synonyms and how they differ

bad beginning

More direct and slightly more formal; 'rough start' is more conversational.

difficult beginning

Similar but more formal and less common in everyday speech.

bumpy start

Very similar, but suggests a series of small problems rather than one big problem.

Opposites

Word family

rough adjective

Difficult or unpleasant.

start noun

The beginning of something.

Commonly confused: rough start or rough start?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “rough start”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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