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rough stuff

American  

noun

Informal.
  1. violence, as physical assault, torture or shooting.

  2. unnecessary violence or infractions of the rules, as in sports.

  3. blatant vulgarity or obscenity.


rough stuff British  

noun

  1. informal violence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of rough stuff

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I'd say, "Just put this rough stuff out and juxtapose it to some interesting images that you shoot on your cell phone."

From Salon • Sep. 18, 2024

The gravel and the grass is seeing plenty of action, with Lewis Hamilton is the latest to slide his Mercedes over the rough stuff.

From BBC • May 16, 2024

He even endured some rough stuff midway through the first half, when he was bundled to the ground by South Africa captain Siya Kolisi.

From Washington Times • Oct. 15, 2023

He sang seemingly effortlessly, coasting just above life’s troubles, but not so smoothly that you believed he’d somehow avoided the rough stuff.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2023

“You know, Dad,” Brinker broke in, “the Coast Guard does some very rough stuff, putting the men on the beaches, all that dangerous amphibious stuff.”

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles