1
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
a survivalist living in a rough-hewn shelter in the wilderness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste
a rough-hewn kid who had to learn how to behave properly in polite company
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
rough-hewn military cadets feeling a little self-conscious at their first formal dance
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rough-hewn
And through it all, Butler’s rough-hewn charm remains intact.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
What is certain is that, with a lyrical albeit rough-hewn alt-rock act as its headliner, this will be a different sort of Blizzard B-Day.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 Jan. 2026
The split-personality rig is a rough-hewn, hard-nosed adventure support vehicle outside and an exceptionally comfortable and livable home-on-a-hitch inside.
—New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2025
Over a mashup of fiddles and guitars, Tod and Jennings blend their rough-hewn voices on a song about consequences for older vices and choices, pondering when the consequences of those actions outweigh the vices themselves.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough-hewn
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
What is certain is that, with a lyrical albeit rough-hewn alt-rock act as its headliner, this will be a different sort of Blizzard B-Day.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 Jan. 2026
The split-personality rig is a rough-hewn, hard-nosed adventure support vehicle outside and an exceptionally comfortable and livable home-on-a-hitch inside.
—New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2025
Over a mashup of fiddles and guitars, Tod and Jennings blend their rough-hewn voices on a song about consequences for older vices and choices, pondering when the consequences of those actions outweigh the vices themselves.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough-hewn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-hewn
Adjective
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But weighting the draft odds is a delicate business — and one the Bulls remain committed to approaching with a clumsy commitment to competitiveness.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Kurt's key takeaway Scammers are no longer relying only on clumsy emails or obvious red flags.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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In a not crass way, no matter what your vice of choice is, someone who enables that behavior, even just by being there, is a really relatable idea.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And while the area's temperatures are rather lovely year-round, the region's increasingly hazardous air pollution makes visits from February through March seriously uncomfortable.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
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The impasse has boxed South Africa into an uncomfortable corner because CRRC is owned by the Chinese government, and Beijing is a key BRICS partner.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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If that means getting rougher and going outside of the rules and expectations for appropriate use of force, that’s all fine.—
Bob Ortega,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
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The Dolphins went 7-10 and missed the playoffs last season, benching Tagovailoa in favor of Quinn Ewers for the final three games, ending a rough season for the former Alabama star.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Lewd and vulgar language is banned.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
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Bauder admonished the crowd several times for being too noisy, and police removed a protester who yelled vulgar comments.—
Heather Hollingsworth,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Shadow of Turkmenchay The uneasy relationship between the two powers stretches back nearly two centuries.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Residents who attended the rally said the situation has left many neighbors uneasy.—
Ross DiMattei,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Kobabe conveys the quiet pain of being misgendered in ostensibly non-hostile environments and the fear of being perceived as inconvenient or rude.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
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Even a bit rude and dismissive?—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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From historic wins, like the first woman to win for cinematography and seventh-ever Oscar tie, to awkward silences to moving tributes and very, very long bits from host Conan O’Brien, the March 15 ceremony was emotional and eventful.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
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During the acceptance speech for Two People Exchanging Saliva, an awkward moment occurred when the microphone started to descend and the camera shifted to host Conan O'Brien, who was still waiting for the speeches to end.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rough-hewn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-hewn. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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