rough estimate
Quick preliminary calculation
A rough estimate is an approximation made without precise calculation or complete information—a ballpark figure good enough for preliminary planning but not for final decisions.
At a rough estimate, the renovations will cost around fifty thousand.
The phrase acknowledges uncertainty while still providing useful guidance.
- ballparkSports venue or estimate
- ballpark figureRough numerical estimate
- approximationNear but inexact value
- guesstimateRough, intuitive calculation
- educated guessReasoned speculation from facts
back-of-envelope · spitball · eyeball · napkin · sketch · first pass · hunch · shot in the dark · in the neighborhood · forecast · projection · give or take · fudge · cushion · margin · placeholder · tentative · preliminary
- estimatesballpark, ballpark figure, guesstimate, approximation, educated guess
- guessesguess, conjecture, supposition, speculation, surmise
- Imprecisevague, fuzzy, hazy, murky, blurry
- approximationsabout, approximately, around, almost, nearly
- guessworkguesswork, educated guess, educated guesses, conjecture, speculation
- imprecisionimprecision, inexactness, inaccuracy, vagueness, fuzziness