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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective uneven contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of uneven are harsh, rough, rugged, and scabrous. While all these words mean "not smooth or even," uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality.

an old house with uneven floors

When is harsh a more appropriate choice than uneven?

The synonyms harsh and uneven are sometimes interchangeable, but harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch.

a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

In what contexts can rough take the place of uneven?

While in some cases nearly identical to uneven, rough implies points, bristles, ridges, or projections on the surface.

a rough wooden board

When could rugged be used to replace uneven?

The words rugged and uneven are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel.

a rugged landscape

When is it sensible to use scabrous instead of uneven?

While the synonyms scabrous and uneven are close in meaning, scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface.

a scabrous leaf

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 uneven Despite his uneven Sunday, Griffin still showed flashes of the ability that has led him to a pair of PGA Tour wins in 2025. Troy Finnegan‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 June 2025 The lightweight, foldable and waterproof NEO unit goes from car to course, and is built to handle any uneven terrain around the ground, when loaded up with a golf bag, full set of clubs and other accessories. Bronwyn Thompson, New Atlas, 29 May 2025 Our tester immediately noticed the difference in stability and said her feet didn’t feel tired, even after a mile-long walk across sidewalks, grass, and uneven concrete. Lauren Paige Richeson, Health, 29 May 2025 Bread crumbs • Props to the hair, makeup, and costuming departments for differentiating Kiki’s Simone from pre-Michaela Simone, who showed up to the island with a scraggly ponytail, a gray button-down, uneven skin, and scrawled tattoos. Caroline Framke, Vulture, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for uneven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uneven
Adjective
  • The thunder rolled and lightning danced among the jagged peaks as a summer rainstorm soaked the alpine meadows of California’s Sierra Nevada.
    Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
  • In addition to more glaciers (circa 300) than any other national park in the Lower 48 states, North Cascades boasts dozens of jagged snowy peaks, wild rivers, tranquil lakes, and among the highest biodiversity of any U.S. park.
    Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Throughout the film, newspaper headlines and snippets of TV contextualize the story against the backdrop of anti-Vietnam demonstrations, colleges retaliating to student campus protests and aggressive policing, along with glimpses of Richard Nixon’s crooked grin.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
  • The moon's insides are crooked thanks to the near side being some 306 degrees Fahrenheit hotter at depth than its counterpart on the lunar far side.
    Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • If your skin is extremely dry and rough, however, the La Roche-Posay Body Moisturizer is rich in prebiotic thermal water, shea butter, and niacinamide is another one of Tookes’ recommendations.
    India Espy-Jones, Essence, 2 June 2025
  • Cloudy skies, rough surf and limited battery life can all reduce their effectiveness.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • After a rugged childhood without electricity or indoor plumbing, Robertson earned a football scholarship to Louisiana Tech University.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 26 May 2025
  • Groups were scaling the 30-foot steel border fence with rope ladders, or crawling through gaps sawed into the old steel mesh fencing, hundreds of people a day in a 20-mile stretch starting at the rugged mountainside of Mt. Cristo Rey.
    Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 26 May 2025
Adjective
  • That unequal treatment presents a serious problem under current free exercise law.
    Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
  • The federal lawsuit alleges that Troy violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), a federal law protecting individuals and religious institutions from unequal or discriminatory land use regulations.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • The 28-year-old right-hander is returning from an oblique strain that removed him from the starting competition in spring training.
    Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2025
  • Manaea was initially shut down in February with the right oblique strain, then suffered a setback in early April when inflammation in the muscle required a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 26 May 2025
Adjective
  • But the murder forced UHG to face a harsh fact: The health care system has never felt more broken to the patients it’s meant to serve.
    Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 2 June 2025
  • Outfielder Trevor Smith is headed to Washington State, infielder Tommy Entrekin is headed to Cal Baptist, pitcher Luke Bailey is off to UC Santa Barbara, and outfielder Parker Vance, who played the championship game with a broken hand, is headed to Southern Utah to play football.
    John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2025
Adjective
  • Sitting places the glutes in a lengthened, inactive state that pushes the pelvis forward and puts the lower back at a painfully compressed, mechanical disadvantage, which in turn creates a posture that feels tight, stiff and unstable.
    Dana Santas, CNN Money, 30 May 2025
  • Business models are under pressure, distribution is unstable, and competition for attention is fiercer than ever.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 29 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Uneven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uneven. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

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