unrefined

adjective

un·​re·​fined ˌən-ri-ˈfīnd 

: not refined: such as

a

: lacking moral or social cultivation : coarse, uncouth

unrefined tastes and manners

b

: not separated from dross, impurity, or unwanted matter

unrefined oil/ore

Synonyms of unrefined

• crude

Examples of unrefined in a Sentence

unrefined sugar

an unrefined mountaineer's hut

guilty of such unrefined behavior as eating with their mouths open

Recent Examples on the Web

Nutritionists generally note that the amount of trace minerals consumed in a pinch of any salt is small, so unrefined salts should not be viewed as a substitute for a mineral-rich diet. — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026

Such tools helped the New York Yankees make stars out of two unrefined college players, right-hander Cam Schlittler, a seventh-rounder out of Northeastern, and first baseman Ben Rice, a 12th-rounder out of Dartmouth. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 24 June 2026

Lucas Blalock likewise finds tragicomic potential in photography itself, inverting Photoshop as a mere tool of postproduction to foreground it as generative and creative, leaving visible traces of labor in ugly edits and unrefined refinements. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026

The unrefined nature keeps some ideas from feeling fleshed out, but Veeze’s personality and precise execution smooth over the rough edges. — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 2 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unrefined

• aligned
• alined
• assigned
• behind
• combined
• confined
• consigned
• crosswind
• declined
• defined
• designed
• divined