Definition

A type of food that contains a lot of indigestible material, which helps with digestion and keeps the intestines healthy.

Example

Eating fruits and vegetables provides plenty of roughage for a healthy diet.

Conversation

I've been trying to eat healthier lately.

That's great! Have you added more roughage to your diet?

Yeah, I'm eating more fruits and vegetables for that.

Good idea! The roughage will help with digestion too.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Roughage → The word is formed from "rough" (from Old English *ruh*, meaning having a coarse or uneven surface) and "-age" (a suffix used to form nouns indicating a state or condition). Roughage refers to the state or condition of being rough, particularly in the context of dietary fiber that is coarse and helps in digestion.

Memory Tip

Think of 'rough' as something coarse and 'age' indicating a state — roughage is the state of being coarse, especially in food that aids digestion.

Visually Confused Words