1
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
a survivalist living in a rough-hewn shelter in the wilderness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste
a rough-hewn kid who had to learn how to behave properly in polite company
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
rough-hewn military cadets feeling a little self-conscious at their first formal dance
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rough-hewn
The tunnel’s entrances, designed by Snøhetta, will feature rough-hewn rock walls, walkways, and a road bridge to blend with the natural landscape and provide scenic viewpoints, potentially boosting local tourism too.
—
David Nikel, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
The new, rough-hewn, working-class actors like Albert Finney, Alan Bates and Anthony Hopkins were her peers.
—Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
Naturally, Wiggins’s first priority was to preserve and enhance the spartan cottage’s existing architecture: the façade of rough-hewn local stone, quaint clapboard walls, restored wood floors, and exposed ceiling beams.
—Laura May Todd, Architectural Digest, 6 Jan. 2025
Each of the 254 rooms here offer that signature quirky Treehouse aesthetic: rough-hewn wood furniture, wood ceiling beams, and colorful patchwork quilts that recreate a childlike sense of being in, well, a treehouse.
—Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rough-hewn
David Nikel, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
The new, rough-hewn, working-class actors like Albert Finney, Alan Bates and Anthony Hopkins were her peers.
—Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
Naturally, Wiggins’s first priority was to preserve and enhance the spartan cottage’s existing architecture: the façade of rough-hewn local stone, quaint clapboard walls, restored wood floors, and exposed ceiling beams.
—Laura May Todd, Architectural Digest, 6 Jan. 2025
Each of the 254 rooms here offer that signature quirky Treehouse aesthetic: rough-hewn wood furniture, wood ceiling beams, and colorful patchwork quilts that recreate a childlike sense of being in, well, a treehouse.
—Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rough-hewn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-hewn
Adjective
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The character first appears in the franchise’s original film Scream (1996) as the older brother of Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan) and the clumsy police deputy trying to help solve the murders in their town of Woodsboro.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 Mar. 2025
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Aviles’ dismissal, for a clumsy challenge on the edge of the penalty area, seemed set to turn the game.—
Martin Rogers,
The Athletic,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For climate advocates, Forrest citing his mining company’s financial performance might sound a bit crass coming from a billionaire who hops around the world on a private plane.—
Justin Worland,
TIME,
25 Feb. 2025
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Ak — who was previously accused of rape — was immediately faced with accusations of grooming, later admitting to his crass behavior.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The traditional process of quitting a job has always been a personal, often uncomfortable experience.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
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Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of State, appeared visibly uncomfortable as the meeting deteriorated.—
Faith E. Pinho,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The Trump administration has expressed interest in other minerals like lithium, graphite, and titanium, but these are based on rough mineral estimates.—
Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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While New York City as a whole is safer than most other metropolises, pockets of especially rough neighborhoods are unsafe, particularly for young men.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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However, these arrangements were not mere shakedowns; they were anchored in strategic diplomacy and geopolitical calculus, rather than vulgar profiteering.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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Her Facebook and email had been flooded with vulgar, inflammatory responses.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The resolution is seeking $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next 10 years, measures that have met opposition from Democrats and made some Republicans uneasy.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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In my conversations with barbecue people, there was often uneasy tension about whether craft barbecue is something new or a return to an old way of doing things.—
Rachel Monroe,
The New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But unseen, in underground pipelines that cut through vast fields of barley, flows about $5 billion annually worth of Canadian crude oil and natural gas, most of it from Alberta.—
Dee-Ann Durbin and Sally Ho,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2025
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The United States imports crude oil from Canada, specifically the Alberta oil sands.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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At the time, Pearce called out a rude fan while performing at WE Fest in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
Fox News,
7 Mar. 2025
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Anti-Tesla sentiment is at an all-time high, whether expressed through rude bumper stickers and peaceful protest or vandalism and arson, in part because Musk has continually stoked tension with his far-right politics.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rough-hewn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-hewn. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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