1
as in raw
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining
a sizable spill of crude oil along a coastline is the worst kind of environmental disaster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in primitive
belonging to or characteristic of an early level of skill or development
the crude stone tools that those prehistoric peoples used
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vulgar
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
crude jokes can be considered sexual harassment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste
any discussion of one's money is considered crude by the club's blue-blooded members
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
a crude hut that was constructed by some shipwrecked sailors
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 crude
Oil Fearful of a global recession, traders have sold off oil dramatically, giving US crude its worst start to any presidential administration since former President Bill Clinton’s second term, according to Bespoke.
—
David Goldman, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025
Artificial food colorings were originally manufactured from coal tar with most synthetic food dyes today made from petroleum, or crude oil, according to the American Chemical Society (ACS) website.
—Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Some years later, crude brass weatherstripping was added to cut down on cold winter drafts.
—Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2025
The spill killed 11 people and injured 17 others as 210 million gallons of crude oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico (recently renamed by the U.S. government as Gulf of America) for a total of 87 days.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crude
David Goldman, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025
Artificial food colorings were originally manufactured from coal tar with most synthetic food dyes today made from petroleum, or crude oil, according to the American Chemical Society (ACS) website.
—Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Some years later, crude brass weatherstripping was added to cut down on cold winter drafts.
—Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2025
The spill killed 11 people and injured 17 others as 210 million gallons of crude oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico (recently renamed by the U.S. government as Gulf of America) for a total of 87 days.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crude
Adjective
-
On an island with just a few hundred residents, where every road leads straight to the coast, the luxury lies in its natural beauty, raw, wild, and unchanged in its expansiveness.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Their music combines raw, percussive energy with elements of traditional Congolese rhythms, noise and avant-garde experimentation.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.—
Joseph J. Kolb,
Fox News,
18 July 2017
-
Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Adjective
-
The comments in screen shots of the chat room were demeaning and vulgar – as were the texts from the anonymous messenger who had sent her the images.—
Yoonjung Seo and Mike Valerio,
CNN Money,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Where once was the vulgar, now lies the Vulgate, a common relatable almost religious experience that all at Barclays seemed to feel.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Alfonso goes head-to-head against a crass but famous on social media CEO Shari de Jesus (Kyline Alcantara), who is being mentored by a powerful industry veteran Velma Imperial (Ruffa Gutierrez).—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Trump sued Maher in 2013 for $5 million after the comedian made a crass joke about his mother and an orangutan.—
Steff Danielle Thomas,
The Hill,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Imagine being cuddled by long-legged, clumsy poodles.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2025
-
That’s — actually kind of genius, especially if the Poet was a clumsy fella who needed that kind of precautionary measure.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Yet for many, this passing of the mantle feels like a natural evolution.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Health systems are using these tools to document patient visits, allowing doctors to have natural conversations with patients rather than typing notes on a computer.—
Gil Press,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Instead of making something miraculous out of rudimentary materials, Government Cheese has a pantry of fine ingredients but never puts together anything palatable.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2025
-
This enables the system to plan novel action sequences to achieve specified goals—a rudimentary form of reasoning and planning.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This social justice kitsch becomes a mildly obscene evocation of racial terrorism.—
Armond White,
National Review,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Fifteen years after her husband’s drowning in the nearby bay, Tressilian’s days are spent in a cranky routine: grumbling over the obscene resort stationed on the opposite bluff, reading London’s gossip columns, and summoning the household help with the insistent ringing of a bedroom call bell.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crude. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share