as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
a rough-and-ready shack that the explorers threw together as winter approached
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rough-and-ready
Some showstopping pieces were sold at Vivienne Westwood’s London shop Seditionaries, which revolutionized a rough-and-ready pop-culture style that still resonates to this day.
—
Siran Babayan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Its Blue Armchair, on show at design exhibition Convey, is blocky and rigid with rough-and-ready industrial detailing.
—
Francesca Perry,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
Since then, the 6ft 4in (193cm) Yorkshireman, released by Huddersfield Town as a youngster for being too small, had evolved from a rough-and-ready forward to become one of the lower leagues’ most reliable target men, with a reputation for delivering big goals at big moments.
—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Black South African soccer developed its own clubs, its own superstars, and its own rough-and-ready style.
—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
But grit, rawness and dirty-realist poetry can be elusive elements to conjure, even in a production that cultivates those qualities with a rough-and-ready feel for the scrappy, sweaty storytelling of another era.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Siran Babayan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Its Blue Armchair, on show at design exhibition Convey, is blocky and rigid with rough-and-ready industrial detailing.
—
Francesca Perry,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
Since then, the 6ft 4in (193cm) Yorkshireman, released by Huddersfield Town as a youngster for being too small, had evolved from a rough-and-ready forward to become one of the lower leagues’ most reliable target men, with a reputation for delivering big goals at big moments.
—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Black South African soccer developed its own clubs, its own superstars, and its own rough-and-ready style.
—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
But grit, rawness and dirty-realist poetry can be elusive elements to conjure, even in a production that cultivates those qualities with a rough-and-ready feel for the scrappy, sweaty storytelling of another era.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-and-ready
Adjective
-
This has, in many cases, led to some clumsy looking solutions at venues across North America.
-
An early furor over accepting valuable gifts, including designer spectacles and Taylor Swift concert tickets, was followed by a series of policy U-turns, especially clumsy attempts to cut welfare spending that stirred anger in Labour ranks.
Adjective
-
After a couple of rough shooting nights against Minnesota and Las Vegas, the Valkyries found their groove.
-
Salicylic acid works deep within pores to tackle buildup, while lactic acid smooths rough texture and refines skin’s surface, leaving skin looking clearer and feeling smoother in just a few swipes.
Adjective
-
Due Amici brings Brooklyn roots and authenticity, right down to the counter service that’s not rude but not exactly warm.
-
It’s widely considered rude and annoying when people cluster by the train doors if there are more people on the platform attempting to get on.
Adjective
-
The trappings of the Senate were another world from Mr. Abourezk’s rough-and-tumble childhood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where his Lebanese parents had immigrated and ran a general store.
-
The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.
Adjective
-
These few extra channels—combined with some sounds ripped from an expansion for the MSX, another 8-bit console—were enough to transcend the Game Boy’s original limitations while still evoking the handheld system’s primitive beauty.
-
Likewise, primitive asteroidal bodies are somewhat like fossilized remnants of the building blocks of the solar system's planets, including Earth.
Adjective
-
Many are rudimentary and low-stakes, but the meaningful ones are still buried within the total volume.
-
But before long, professors complained that incoming freshmen lacked even rudimentary math skills.
Adjective
-
The cause was not a cyberattack but a flawed software update, and that is precisely the point.
-
But this Administration is not interested in making a flawed system work better.
Adjective
-
Although such tallies are imperfect, there is legitimate concern that this summer could be particularly lethal.
-
An uncomfortable investment can rise sharply while the business remains imperfect.
Cite this Entry
“Rough-and-ready.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-and-ready. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
