a rough search

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a rough search" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to an initial or preliminary search that is not thorough or detailed. Example: "After a rough search of the area, we were unable to find any clues."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

During a rough search for scofflaws, the advocates said, the police beat a cafe owner, whom residents, including Atef al-Mansi, took to the police station to complain.

The New York Times

To find the best-fit parameters, we divided the search into three steps including a rough search in wide parameter ranges and two finer searches in narrow ranges.

Earth, Planets and Space

A novel fast ME method is proposed which performs a "rough" search before a "precise" search for the best partition in fractal coding.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The first step involves a rough global search of the global search space, which has, however, been somewhat bounded based on prior mission-design experience, intuition, and energy arguments.

Acta Astronautica

Glide [4, 29] relies on a rough systematic search in a cuboid grid, followed by a refinement using Monte Carlo sampling.

Journal of Cheminformatics

In the first stage, a rough MCSA search of the clustering parameter space is performed in order to identify the most interesting parameter region (default MCSA settings: Tbegin = 0.1, Tend = 0.001, r c = 0.99, parameter step size = 0.05).

BMC Systems Biology

Firstly, cognitive population uses Gaussian and Levy flight random walk methods to explore the search space in the rough search behavior.

Applied Soft Computing

The continuing airborne assaults and rough searches are angering Afghan villagers, especially when fatal errors are made.

The New York Times

For example, the search is more efficient when a rough item is searched for than when a smooth item is the target (Plaisier et al., 2008).

Attention, Perception & Psychophysics

NASA's flight data gave Mr Bezos's team a rough location to begin the search.

The Economist

The tale tumbled out of him, yet he reported it matter-of-factly: strong and confident, a rough diamond; you had to search the jovial, smiling eyes to see the occasional fleeting sadness behind them.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a rough search" to indicate an initial, non-exhaustive investigation. This suggests further, more detailed searches may follow.

Common error

Avoid using "a rough search" when you want to convey that a thorough and exhaustive search was conducted. The adjective "rough" suggests the search was quick and not necessarily comprehensive. Instead use: "thorough search" or "exhaustive search".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a rough search" functions as a noun phrase, where 'rough' modifies the noun 'search'. It describes the nature or quality of the search, indicating it was not thorough or detailed. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a rough search" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe an initial, non-exhaustive investigation. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. It's suitable for various contexts, particularly in scientific and news reporting, to convey that a search was preliminary or not particularly thorough. When using this phrase, it's important to ensure the audience understands that further, more detailed searches may be necessary. Alternatives such as "preliminary search" or "cursory search" can be used to provide similar meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a preliminary search

Replaces "rough" with "preliminary", indicating an initial search done as a preparation for more detailed investigation.

a cursory search

Emphasizes the brief and superficial nature of the search.

a quick search

Highlights the speed and lack of thoroughness in the search process.

a broad search

Indicates a search that covers a wide area or range of possibilities, without focusing on specifics.

an initial search

Similar to "preliminary search", it denotes the first search conducted.

a basic search

Suggests a search that covers only the fundamental or essential aspects.

a superficial search

Like "cursory", this highlights the lack of depth in the search.

a general search

Implies a search without specific targets or criteria.

a shallow search

Similar to "superficial", it indicates a lack of thoroughness.

a spot check

Suggests a random or limited search performed to get a quick idea.

FAQs

How can I use "a rough search" in a sentence?

You can use "a rough search" to describe a preliminary or non-thorough investigation, such as, "After "a rough search" of the office, I couldn't find my keys."

What's a good alternative to "a rough search"?

Alternatives include "a preliminary search", "a cursory search", or "a quick search", depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "a rough search"?

It's appropriate when describing an initial or high-level search, before more detailed methods are employed. It suggests the search was not exhaustive.

What does "a rough search" imply about the search's thoroughness?

Using the phrase "a rough search" implies that the search was not thorough or detailed. It suggests a quick overview rather than an in-depth investigation.