rough patch
Hard times lately
A rough patch is a difficult period or stretch of hardship.
Relationships go through rough patches.
Careers hit rough patches.
The phrase implies the difficulty is temporary—a bad section of road you'll eventually pass through: Every marriage has its rough patches, The company went through a rough patch last year but recovered.
- difficultiesProblems to overcome
- hard timeStruggle or imprisonment
- hard timesPeriod of difficulty
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
- hardshipSuffering from difficult circumstances
tough times · dark days · setback · stormy weather · struggle · financial strain · overcome · turning point · navigate · estrangement · rocky road · growing pains · burnout · slump · hitting bottom · reconciliation · rainy day · mending
- hard timeshardship, struggle, struggling, unemployment, tough times
- hardshipshardship, adversity, struggle, misfortune, difficulties
- setbacksfailing, back to square one, stuck, losing, stumbles
- slumpsslump, lull, losing streak, cold streak, rut
- Troublesproblem, trouble, issue, setback, snag
- surface flawscrack, chip, scratch, dent, stain
rough patchsmooth sailing
Untroubled progress forward
easy street · good times · heyday · winning streak · purple patch
rough patchlucky streak
Sustained run of wins
hot streak · charmed life · golden touch · Midas touch · stroke of luck