rough idea
Approximate mental picture
A rough idea is an imprecise or preliminary understanding of something—enough to grasp the general shape without knowing the details.
I have a rough idea of what she wants, but we'll need to discuss specifics.
The phrase often hedges against being held to precision: Can you give me a rough idea of the cost?
- sketchHasty informal drawing
- outlineSummary of key elements
- first passInitial attempt at something
- notionImprecise mental impression
- ballparkSports venue or estimate
ballpark figure · gist · hunch · vague · fuzzy · approximation · draft · working draft · concept · inkling · sense · impression · napkin · scribble · preliminary · broad strokes · loose · general
- Imprecisevague, fuzzy, hazy, murky, blurry
- estimatesestimate, estimation, ballpark, ballpark estimate, ballpark figure
- guessesguess, conjecture, supposition, speculation, surmise
- sketchessketch, pencil drawings, charcoal sketches, quick sketch, ink sketches
- imprecisionimprecision, inexactness, inaccuracy, vagueness, fuzziness
- viewpointsviewpoint, standpoint, perspective, point of view, outlook