roughen

verb

rough·​en ˈrə-fən How to pronounce roughen (audio)
roughened; roughening ˈrə-fə-niŋ How to pronounce roughen (audio)
ˈrəf-niŋ

transitive verb

: to make rough or rougher
her hands were roughened by workEllen Glasgow

intransitive verb

: to become rough

Examples of roughen in a Sentence

Roughen the surface with a file before you apply the glue. Her hands were roughened by years of hard work. Age caused his skin to roughen.
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.
The lengths in particular, which are already dry and sensitive, are only roughened even more by regular shampooing. Jana Ackermann, Glamour, 26 Nov. 2024 To address both weaknesses, engineers coated the nitride film—a combination of GaN and InGaN layers—with a metal that acts as a mirror, then flipped the assembly over, removed the substrate, and roughened the underlying surface. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Dec. 2010 Celebrity nail artist Queenie Nguyen says that a nail technician will first use a coarse nail file to remove the shiny top layer and roughen up the surface. Audrey Noble, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023 Test sample: Low-carbon steel joined to form a T. Surface and end roughened by grinding with 60-grit abrasive. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 4 Aug. 2023 To try to remedy the situation, workers dragged tires and scrubbed the slick surface to try to roughen it up a bit. Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Apr. 2022 The optional mirror-bright 20-inch wheels look great but roughen the ride. Dan Neil, WSJ, 3 Feb. 2022 That can roughen up the cuticle, which leads to tangles, frizz, and then breakage. Sable Yong, Allure, 29 Dec. 2021 Fisher has recruited sturdily in his four seasons at A&M, but that road will roughen in the state with UT and OU joining the mighty football conference, one that has led the nation in NFL draft picks for 15 consecutive years. Brent Zwerneman, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Sep. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of roughen was in 1582

Dictionary Entries Near roughen

Cite this Entry

“Roughen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roughen. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

roughen

verb
rough·​en ˈrəf-ən How to pronounce roughen (audio)
roughened; roughening -(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce roughen (audio)
: to make or become rough
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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