as in unpolished
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 rough-edged
Andor is charming and rough-edged, a solo space cowboy accustomed to hustling his own way.
—
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 21 May 2025
Here we are faced with an aesthetic that is indeed poetic, but also austere; contemplative, yet analytical, critical—at times even rough-edged.
—Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 14 May 2025
One of the things Sean Baker does exceptionally well is draw us into a vivid and highly specific milieu, nurturing our affections for characters who are rough-edged, to put it mildly, and then whip up a vortex of steadily escalating chaos.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
Foster’s version of Sarah was more defiant and rough-edged than the producers and the director, Jonathan Kaplan, wanted.
—Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2024
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 21 May 2025
Here we are faced with an aesthetic that is indeed poetic, but also austere; contemplative, yet analytical, critical—at times even rough-edged.
—Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 14 May 2025
One of the things Sean Baker does exceptionally well is draw us into a vivid and highly specific milieu, nurturing our affections for characters who are rough-edged, to put it mildly, and then whip up a vortex of steadily escalating chaos.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
Foster’s version of Sarah was more defiant and rough-edged than the producers and the director, Jonathan Kaplan, wanted.
—Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-edged
Adjective
-
Low-quality decor like plastic plants or cheap rugs can make a space feel cluttered and unpolished.—
Jane Kim,
The Spruce,
16 June 2026
-
Dog Day Afternoon is a definitive '70s film, with its gritty, unpolished vision of a restless New York and a dark sense of humor in its portrayal of a heist gone horribly wrong.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
And any expression otherwise is so taboo or deemed uncouth, and we aren’t allowed to talk about it in our art and media.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
-
Those songs both ended with squalls of noise, hinting at Bash’s interest in more uncouth arrangements.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Lucas Blalock likewise finds tragicomic potential in photography itself, inverting Photoshop as a mere tool of postproduction to foreground it as generative and creative, leaving visible traces of labor in ugly edits and unrefined refinements.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
The unrefined nature keeps some ideas from feeling fleshed out, but Veeze’s personality and precise execution smooth over the rough edges.—
Matthew Ritchie,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The brand has come to signify rugged, often uncultured New York grit, its actual working-class relevance and celebration in seminal rap lyrics feeding internet snarkers’ stereotypes of city dwellers.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Just the opposite: The slipup shows how culture pervades even my uncultured moments.—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The rustic interior has plenty of simple, rough-hewn wooden furniture, which allows beautiful plates of pintxos and tapas to shine brightly.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 June 2026
-
As the title suggests, Music In Continuous Motion picks up right where its predecessor left off, with Orcutt assembling overdubbed guitar lines into brief, interlocking pieces that balance rough-hewn primitivism against painterly precision.—
SPIN Staff,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
From blazing stars and diminutive buttercups to uncultivated roses and sunflowers, the Midwest is blessed with many gorgeous native wildflowers.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Midwest Living,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Down these uncultivated paths, Horace’s Lydia, Tibullus’s Delia, and Ovid’s Corinna had passed, but only Virgil’s Philomela remained.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This isn’t about the vulgar prices now being charged to get into the building and Celebrity Row.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
-
But this original iteration of Call Her Daddy was vulgar, transgressive, and short-lived.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
The movie follows two train stewardesses for a trashy train line, Tess and DeeDee, played by Drag Race alumni Ginger Minj and Jujubee, respectively.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
-
Platner and his wife have characterized public concern about his past behavior and statements as mere gossip and trashy headlines, but there’s good reason to see in this mess both evidence of poor personal judgment and a harbinger of things to come.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rough-edged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-edged. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
