Meaning & use
rough terrain
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Meanings
noununcountable
ground that is uneven, rocky, or difficult to travel over.
Grammar: No plural; it behaves like a mass noun and usually takes the definite article or no article.
Patterns
- rough terrain
- across rough terrain
- over rough terrain
- through rough terrain
The rescue team carried the injured climber across rough terrain for six hours.
This vehicle is built to handle rough terrain without losing speed.
We spent the afternoon hiking through rough terrain and had to watch every step.
noununcountablefigurative
a difficult or complicated situation that is hard to manage.
Grammar: Figurative use; often appears in business or political writing about a challenging period.
Patterns
- negotiate rough terrain
- on rough terrain
- through rough terrain
The new manager had to negotiate rough terrain during her first year in charge.
After the scandal, the company found itself on rough terrain with investors.
Common combinations
- handle rough terrain
- These boots are designed to handle rough terrain.
- cross rough terrain
- The jeep can cross rough terrain easily.
- rough terrain vehicle
- They rented a rough terrain vehicle for the mountain trip.
- navigate rough terrain
- Hikers must learn to navigate rough terrain safely.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bumpy ground
- More informal and usually describes a surface with many small bumps rather than truly difficult land.
- uneven ground
- Focuses on a surface that is not level; it does not necessarily suggest rocks or steep slopes.
Opposites
Word family
- terrain noun
- The general word for land or ground, especially its physical features.
Commonly confused: rough terrain or terrain?
rough terrain vs terrain
Terrain alone simply means land or ground; rough terrain adds the idea that the ground is hard to cross.
Practice
The mountain rescue team moved slowly ___ rough terrain.
Choose one answer.
We move across a surface or area, so 'across rough terrain' is the natural choice. 'On rough terrain' can describe position but not the movement of crossing it, and 'at' and 'into' do not fit the sense of traveling over land.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rough terrain”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.