1
as in sturdy
able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure
a rugged construction that survived for hundreds of years
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tough
difficult to endure
the incredibly rugged conditions that the polar explorers faced
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3
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
the warrior's rugged features frightened the child
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4
as in muscular
having muscles capable of exerting great physical force
a rugged athlete who's competing in weight lifting in the Olympics
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5
as in jagged
not having a level or smooth surface
rugged terrain that made for slow going
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6
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
even more rugged than most ultramarathons, this one crosses a desert
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7
as in turbulent
marked by turmoil or disturbance especially of natural elements
New Hampshire's Mount Washington has some of the ruggedest weather in all of North America
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8
as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste
the kind of rugged humor that men have traditionally enjoyed at stag parties
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rugged
The pedals are large and the handlebars are easy to grip, plus durable tires with rugged treads are perfect for off-road adventures.
—
Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
From muscle cars that chase down reckless drivers to rugged trucks that tackle tough terrain, the THP has a formidable lineup.
—Charles Singh, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Oct. 2025
After a summer plagued by wildfires and evacuations, parts of the Grand Canyon’s rugged North Rim are once again open to visitors—but the timing is complicated.
—AFAR Media, 7 Oct. 2025
Engineers say the aircraft could take off from 2,600-meter (8,530-foot) semi-prepared runways, even carrying its full payload, allowing deployment from remote or rugged airfields.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rugged
Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
From muscle cars that chase down reckless drivers to rugged trucks that tackle tough terrain, the THP has a formidable lineup.
—Charles Singh, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Oct. 2025
After a summer plagued by wildfires and evacuations, parts of the Grand Canyon’s rugged North Rim are once again open to visitors—but the timing is complicated.
—AFAR Media, 7 Oct. 2025
Engineers say the aircraft could take off from 2,600-meter (8,530-foot) semi-prepared runways, even carrying its full payload, allowing deployment from remote or rugged airfields.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rugged
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rugged
Adjective
-
If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The end result of a tough negotiation that included a nearly two-week blackout of Disney channels on Charter in 2023 was a much closer working relationship between the two.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Just a week after giving birth, Menish took her six-hour Evidence exam from home in December 2023 — one of the toughest finals in the curriculum.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Both are ruggedly handsome, gruff and not short on ego.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Each version of the muscular coupe features a special livery inspired by its predecessor.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Here’s our selection of dramas, encompassing everything from Sony Pictures Television’s high-concept series The Miniature Wife to Sphere Abacus’ steamy ice-hockey romp Heated Rivalry through to Richard Gadd muscular transformation in Half Man.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Above the tree line, the landscape changes completely with alpine tundra, jagged peaks jutting out in the distance, and skies that seem impossibly close.—
Abby Price,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Oct. 2025
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The video — which has since been taken down by the TikToker, who issued an apology — captured his final moments after Miller reached the summit and then had trouble getting his gear bag unstuck on a jagged edge below.—
Susan Young,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Travel could be very difficult to impossible.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Oct. 2025
-
This Is My Story While Israel and Hamas have accepted the two-phase agreement, many of the more difficult issues have been left unresolved.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Nintendo Switch era has been turbulent for the franchise, to put it mildly.—
Ryan Gaur,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Now, in an increasingly turbulent world, those barriers are going back up.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Each project presented at MIA is picked with a genuine desire for these works to come to the fore, not by crass commercial considerations.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Free speech covers the jokes, the satire, the parodies—even the dumb, crass, or offensive ones.—
Lizz Winstead,
Time,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rugged. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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