1
as in crude
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining
unrefined sugar
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
an unrefined mountaineer's hut
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste
guilty of such unrefined behavior as eating with their mouths open
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unrefined
Peserico, too, focused on wearability, presenting a collection that showed us that being unfussy doesn’t mean unrefined.
—
Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Choose unrefined or virgin coconut oil over refined options, and perform a patch test to help avoid irritation or allergic reactions.
—Carrie Madormo, Health, 14 Nov. 2025
Getty Images Industry proposals would ship unrefined ore to overseas processors, with no domestic value added or direct supply chain benefits.
—Kevin Green, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
The menu includes espresso drinks like mochas and lattes, along with drip coffee and cafe de olla, enhanced with a sweet syrup made with spices and piloncillo, unrefined sugar traditional in Latin America.
—Mario Cortez, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for unrefined
Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Choose unrefined or virgin coconut oil over refined options, and perform a patch test to help avoid irritation or allergic reactions.
—Carrie Madormo, Health, 14 Nov. 2025
Getty Images Industry proposals would ship unrefined ore to overseas processors, with no domestic value added or direct supply chain benefits.
—Kevin Green, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
The menu includes espresso drinks like mochas and lattes, along with drip coffee and cafe de olla, enhanced with a sweet syrup made with spices and piloncillo, unrefined sugar traditional in Latin America.
—Mario Cortez, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for unrefined
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrefined
Adjective
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Even young Oklahoma City required a clumsy postseason audition.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The driver and his accomplice then mounted a clumsy getaway that resulted in their scooter crashing about three blocks from the scene, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The word was considered so vulgar that it was left out of early dictionaries and was rarely printed, though Adams says people were certainly using it.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
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One day, Dahlstrom made a vulgar joke in a lunchroom referencing oral sex and pubic hair, according to the employee.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Right now in America, when our discourse has gotten so crass and mean-spirited that to show the underlying kindness of this show is really resonating.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
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The beloved slapstick comedy is 85 minutes of pure entertainment, full of increasingly chaotic adventures and shockingly crass jokes that still produce guffaws decades later.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Overcrowding, strong winds and rough seas caused the vessel to lose control and sink, the agencies said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Stars like James Dean and Marlon Brando wore Levi’s in the movies, and kids in B-movies for teens wore them, too, folding jeans into the image of rough, rebellious youth.—
Jack Armstrong,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Pete Hegseth rebukes 'rude' reporter who interrupted Pentagon briefing on Iran.—
,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, wearing baseball caps backward is considered a rude violation of etiquette, and going barefoot is not allowed.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In 2018, Google employees staged a massive walkout to protest the company’s work on a primitive iteration of the project.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
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The education center and two semi-primitive campgrounds feature vault toilets.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Although in the hours before splashdown, all eyes were on their spacecraft’s heat shield — which NASA previously said was flawed, according to The New York Times — NASA developed a modified path for the Artemis II mission in order to keep the crew safe during re-entry.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
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Late payments for major construction projects, expenditures listed in the wrong fiscal year and a flawed budgeting process are just some of the financial problems Groveland needs to fix, the Lake County city’s mayor said in an unusual presentation this week.—
James Wilkins,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But his uppercase blasts, chest-thumping rants and coarse insults are more likely now to draw a Gallic shrug.—
Serge Schmemann,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Position the bed in an area that receives lots of sunshine and mix a well-draining rocky or gritty soil blend by combining equal parts potting soil and coarse sand or fine gravel.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unrefined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrefined. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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