rough steps

[/rʌf stɛps/]
nounpl: rough steps
degraus ásperos; passos ásperos; etapas difíceis
1. Steps or stairs with an uneven, coarse, or textured surface
The rough steps leading to the old castle were difficult to climb.
Os degraus ásperos que levavam ao velho castelo eram difíceis de subir.
2. A series of preliminary or initial actions taken to accomplish something, often involving difficulties or challenges
The first rough steps in starting a business require careful planning.
Os primeiros passos ásperos para iniciar um negócio exigem planejamento cuidadoso.
3. Early, unrefined, or preliminary stages of a process or development
The artist took rough steps toward perfecting her technique.
A artista deu passos ásperos em direção ao aperfeiçoamento de sua técnica.
In Brazilian Portuguese, 'passos ásperos' is commonly used metaphorically to describe the challenging initial phases of any endeavor, from business to personal development. In construction and architecture contexts, 'degraus ásperos' refers to literally textured steps, often for safety and grip purposes.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
rugged stepsuneven stepscoarse stepspreliminary stepsinitial stages
Antonyms / Antônimos
smooth stepspolished stepsrefined stepsfinal steps

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
degraus ásperos; passos ásperos
Most common usage in formal and informal contexts
Rio de Janeiro
degraus ásperos; etapas difíceis
Often used metaphorically for difficult initial phases
São Paulo
passos iniciais ásperos
Emphasizes the preliminary nature of steps taken
Portugal
passos ásperos; degraus irregulares
Similar usage to Brazil, with slight vocabulary preference variations

Related Words

staircasestairwaytexturesurfacepreliminarydevelopment

Related Idioms & Phrases

take rough steps toward something
rough steps in the right direction
climbing rough steps
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