ə ˈrɒki roʊd
Travel
neutral
beginner
- Literally:
- a road surface covered with rocks and stones
What does "a rocky road" mean?
a difficult or problematic period or course of action
Examples
- Their marriage has been a rocky road, but they've managed to stay together.
- The path to recovery was a rocky road.
- Starting a small business is a rocky road, but the rewards can be worth it.
Origin
From the experience of traveling on unpaved, rock-strewn roads.
How to use it
Implies sustained difficulty rather than a single obstacle.
Similar expressions
a rough patch
an uphill struggle
Opposites
smooth sailing
a walk in the park
Related idioms
- hit the road
To leave or depart on a journey
- in the same boat
In the same difficult situation as someone else
- miss the boat
To miss an opportunity
- go the extra mile
to make more effort than is expected or required
- a long way to go
much more work or progress is needed before completion
- that ship has sailed
The opportunity has passed
Use it in a practice answer
Try "a rocky road" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.