Scabrous describes something rough and scaly to the touch, like tree bark covered in crusty patches or a wall with peeling, flaking paint.

When you run your hand along scabrous wood, you feel its uneven, jagged texture. A scabrous surface might scratch your fingers or catch on your clothes. Think of the difference between a smooth river stone and a chunk of rough volcanic rock: that volcanic rock is scabrous.

The word can also describe situations or subjects that are harsh, difficult, or unpleasant to deal with. A scabrous problem is one that feels rough around the edges, thorny and challenging. If someone writes about a scabrous topic, they're tackling something uncomfortable or controversial. In this sense, scabrous suggests something that's hard to handle smoothly, whether it's physically rough or figuratively difficult to manage.