rough-hewn

adjective

ˈrəf-ˈhyün How to pronounce rough-hewn (audio)
Definition of rough-hewnnext
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

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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

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-hewn In Maine, Graham Platner, a rough-hewn populist who had to cover up a Nazi tattoo, looks set to handily beat Janet Mills, the polished seventy-eight-year-old incumbent governor. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026 The couple created Boni’s as a slightly more rough-hewn and masculine version of their bespoke sister restaurant. — Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026 Limón, 46, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, has a much calmer personality than many of her rough-hewn male predecessors. — George Skelton, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026 And through it all, Butler’s rough-hewn charm remains intact. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rough-hewn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-hewn
  1. clumsy
  2. crass
  3. uncomfortable
  4. rough
  5. vulgar
  6. uneasy
  7. rude
  8. coarse
Adjective
  • Such attempts to touch on the highly personal connections people have to Oasis’s music feel clumsy and forced, especially when juxtaposed with the brothers’ rather anonymous comments.
    — Elena Lazic, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • After meeting at a society reception, Henry sets out to marry Henrietta, an endearingly clumsy, overly apologetic botanist with ambitions of discovering a new species of fern.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • Murdoch is thick-skinned and accustomed to being underestimated by the condescending Brits, who see him as a crass interloper.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The vulnerability, the crass graffiti, the (lack of) cleanliness, uncomfortable toilet seats—the list of reasons is lengthy.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of crass
Adjective
  • From the seasonally inappropriate hot springs of Beitou to the glossy, souvenir-flogging halls of Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, the plot of this coming-of-age story doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable realities of traveling abroad.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Residents can expect another round of uncomfortable nights as moisture will keep overnight temperatures well above normal in the 70s with some 80s in the foothills.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncomfortable
Adjective
  • His rough exterior and no-nonsense approach tend to typecast him as a football machine devoid of personality or emotion.
    — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Mercury's rough surface, continually reshaped by debris hurled from impact craters, may have hidden the true extent of the loss, according to the researchers whose findings appear in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of rough
Adjective
  • Decide for yourself whether that’s a bold indicator of English football’s superiority over the rest of the world, or a revolting symbol of the bloated and vulgar behemoth that the game has become.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • However, recent scholarship posits that the structure was used as ordinary (rather than punitive) housing, and that the vulgar decor was in fact a distinguishing characteristic of the epoch.
    — Jim Greer, SPIN, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • Vingegaard placed second and Roglič third, completing a historic-but-uneasy single-team podium.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In this tense, uneasy landscape, a separated couple, Natalie and Asher, reunite to take their child, Logan, on a trip to tour colleges in both territories.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • For instance, your colleagues may be very agreeable and kind to their boss but rude to their more junior colleagues, or the cafeteria waiter.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Totally ignoring the humanity of both worker and customer is rude, and yet both parties are interested in getting on with whatever the transaction is.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • If desired, for sweetness and crunch, sprinkle with coarse sugar.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The facture of a painting by Kippenberger or, say, Büttner is typically heavy, punchy, almost coarse, with a blunt energy that does not promise freedom as the Abstract Expressionist gesture might be thought to do.
    — Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of coarse

Browse Nearby Words

roughens
rough-hewn
roughhouse
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Cite this Entry

“Rough-hewn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-hewn. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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