rocky ground
Boulder-strewn earth
Rocky ground is terrain strewn with stones or characterized by exposed bedrock, making it difficult to traverse or cultivate.
Figuratively, rocky ground describes unfavorable conditions for growth or progress: The proposal fell on rocky ground with the committee.
The phrase echoes the biblical parable of seeds that cannot take root in stony soil.
- stonyRocky or emotionless
- loose stonesUnfixed rock fragments
- gravelLoose small rock fragments
- rubbleBroken building fragments
- terrainLand's physical features
barren · barren landscape · jagged · uneven · boulders · scree · rough terrain · pebbles · harsh · arid · scrubland · hiking · stumble · twisted ankle · ankle · treacherous · dusty · craggy
- ground conditionsmud, ice, snow, sand, gravel
- ruggedheavy-duty, toughness, reinforced, durability, hardened
- drylands
agricultural suitability
rocky groundarable land
Ground suitable for cultivation
bottomland · black earth · fertile soil · fertile ground · cropland
rocky, ground, rock, rocks, rocked, rocking, rocker, rockier, rockiest