1
as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
a roughness to the wine that should decrease with age
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rudeness
the quality or state of lacking refinement or good taste
the roughness of pioneer life is not glossed over in the documentary
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 roughness
Interest in imperfection, roughness, and asymmetry was already growing in the digital era before AI arrived.
—
Andrey Mir, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
There is still a little roughness around the edges.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 25 Mar. 2026
The aesthetic favors deliberate roughness and mistakes over a sterile, polished sheen.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Whether bumps or pits, roughness or a distinct lack of luminosity, uneven skin texture impacts all of us at some point.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026
Taking inspiration from observing the rawness of Ma Tei’s Temple Street, the collectionmerges haute couture tailoring with the roughness of grassroots life.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
The term plant texture refers to the fineness or coarseness, roughness or smoothness, heaviness or lightness of a particular plant.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 15 Feb. 2026
The roughness of a curling stone is what allows the rocks to curl.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Original floors were maintained and Valéry, with the help of his brother Louis-Antoine, kept the rustic roughness of the walls, which helps the hotel preserve a sense of history.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
Andrey Mir, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
There is still a little roughness around the edges.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 25 Mar. 2026
The aesthetic favors deliberate roughness and mistakes over a sterile, polished sheen.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Whether bumps or pits, roughness or a distinct lack of luminosity, uneven skin texture impacts all of us at some point.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026
Taking inspiration from observing the rawness of Ma Tei’s Temple Street, the collectionmerges haute couture tailoring with the roughness of grassroots life.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
The term plant texture refers to the fineness or coarseness, roughness or smoothness, heaviness or lightness of a particular plant.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 15 Feb. 2026
The roughness of a curling stone is what allows the rocks to curl.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Original floors were maintained and Valéry, with the help of his brother Louis-Antoine, kept the rustic roughness of the walls, which helps the hotel preserve a sense of history.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughness
Noun
-
Curiously, there is less bitterness among farmworkers and advocates than there is sadness.—
Marcos Breton,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Each sip ends with some pleasant heat on the back end, a nice, warming finish that lingers for a few minutes, along with some tannic oak that does not go overboard into bitterness.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But if there truly is an epidemic of canine defecation in your area, then the solution is not to turn up the rudeness volume, but to appeal to a system or organization that addresses public health or the care of public spaces.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
But only those who had been woken up without warning with a degree of rudeness would remember this night when their own time came.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When looking at the largest metro areas, the fastest growing counties tended to be on the outer edges.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The Chiefs have now turned their attention to the secondary waves of free agency while looking ahead to the draft — with top needs at cornerback, edge and offensive tackle, by my estimation.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That feeling stops, however, when pulling into gas stations or parking lots, where the length and lowness of the car require extreme care to keep the chin from scraping.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Worldwide, many antibiotics are starting to lose their bite.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The evening begins with a lively pre-event social hour featuring bites, cocktails and networking.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But many seemingly urbane texts also benefited from the intellectual and moral coarseness of their times.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The term plant texture refers to the fineness or coarseness, roughness or smoothness, heaviness or lightness of a particular plant.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Sunlight naturally sanitizes, and air drying prevents the harshness of high heat.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The tinted visor that Morgan Geekie wore for two games against the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars in January could help mute the lights’ harshness.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
However, the show downplays the severity of the incident and most crucially the fact that a child was present and injured in the melee.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The record high levels of greenhouse gases in the air are also why so many extreme events, from heat waves to floods, are now occurring with greater regularity and severity.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roughness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughness. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
