roughly never

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "roughly never" is not standard in written English, but it can be understood in informal contexts.
It can be used to emphasize that something almost never happens, often in a humorous or sarcastic way. Example: "He said he would start exercising, but with his schedule, it's roughly never going to happen."

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

PADDY (roughly): Never mind the girls.

The New Yorker

Given that I am in malls roughly never, I asked the company for data about how its product works.

TechCrunch

The last time a video game made me feel anything was, roughly, never.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Roughly half never let them go outside alone during the day, or cross the street, go to the store or travel to school without an adult.

The New York Times

According to Project Kaisei, an environmental non-profit dedicated to raising awareness about waste in the ocean: "every year, over 300 million tons of plastic are produced, much of it for one-time, disposable use, and roughly 90% never makes it to be recycled".

TechCrunch

Ms. Barber said that Mr. Salem had told her that he had contacted the Pinacoteca about "Christ Carrying the Cross" roughly 10 years ago, but never received a reply.

The New York Times - Arts

"Sait-On Jamais?," which translates roughly as "One Never Knows," is a reflection on romantic happenstance that extends a theme that ran through Ms. Kent's last album, "Breakfast on the Morning Tram," a collection of songs about travel, real and imaginary.

The New York Times - Arts

Humans, accustomed to living lives of roughly 70-90+ 70-90+ years never die.

Huffington Post

Exfoliate very lightly, and never roughly scrub your skin.

WikiHow

A suburban community of roughly 26,000, Newtown has never really coalesced around a vision for Fairfield Hills.

The New York Times

He added that organizations that supply funds have been especially dubious, and that the theater, which operates for roughly $1 million a year, has never received financial support for the Bats or their work.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "roughly never", consider whether a more precise term like "almost never" or "virtually never" would provide greater clarity and impact. While "roughly never" isn't incorrect, it can sound less formal or even somewhat vague in certain contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "roughly never" in academic or professional contexts where precision is valued. Opt for more formal alternatives like "rarely", "infrequently", or more emphatic phrases like "virtually never" or "almost never" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "roughly never" functions as an adverbial modifier, indicating the frequency of an action or event. It suggests that something almost doesn't occur or is highly infrequent. Ludwig shows it is acceptable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "roughly never" functions as an adverbial modifier indicating a low frequency of occurrence. Although not strictly grammatically incorrect, the phrase is more suited to informal contexts. Ludwig AI suggests it is acceptable, though other options might be preferred. Its usage is uncommon, with examples in news, media, and wiki sources. It is advisable to use more precise alternatives like "almost never" or "virtually never" in formal writing. The phrase serves to communicate that something is improbable, bordering on impossible, without fully committing to the assertion that it never happens.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost never

Indicates a slightly higher frequency than "roughly never", suggesting the event happens very rarely but not quite never.

practically never

Similar to "almost never", emphasizing that the event is so rare it's as good as never happening.

virtually never

Implies the event is so unlikely that it's functionally equivalent to never occurring.

rarely if ever

A more formal way of saying something happens infrequently, possibly never.

scarcely ever

Indicates a low frequency, close to never, but still acknowledging a possibility.

hardly ever

Similar to "scarcely ever", suggesting infrequent occurrence.

infrequently

A more general term for not happening often, which can be close to never in some contexts.

almost no

Shifts the focus to quantity rather than frequency, implying very little or none.

not quite ever

Emphasizes that something has not reached the point of happening, suggesting it's close but hasn't occurred.

approaching never

Highlights the trend towards non-occurrence, indicating the event is becoming increasingly rare.

FAQs

What does "roughly never" mean?

The phrase "roughly never" means almost never or hardly ever. It indicates that something happens very rarely, although it's not an absolute "never".

Are there alternatives to "roughly never"?

Yes, you can use phrases like "almost never", "practically never", or "virtually never" as alternatives to "roughly never".

Is "roughly never" grammatically correct?

While not strictly incorrect, "roughly never" is not a standard English phrase. It's more common in informal speech. Ludwig AI indicates it is acceptable.

In what contexts is it appropriate to use "roughly never"?

The phrase "roughly never" is most appropriate in informal conversation or writing. Avoid using it in formal academic or professional contexts. News articles or encyclopedias more often use phrases such as "almost never" or "rarely ever".