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
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
Limón, 46, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, has a much calmer personality than many of her rough-hewn male predecessors.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 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
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
Limón, 46, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, has a much calmer personality than many of her rough-hewn male predecessors.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 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
Adjective
-
After the zapfest on Earth, the anti-climactic tussle between the forces of good and evil occurs back on Eternia, where He-Man and his nemesis cross swords in a clumsy fight that’s not only predictable but also photographed and edited poorly.—
Jeffrey Ressner,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
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The simple walking pattern adopted by fish, which the Cambridge researchers call an ‘undulating tripod gait’, can appear to be quite clumsy and involves too much flopping.—
Abhishek Bhardwaj,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The service There’s nothing as crass as a check-in desk here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
In fact, the very term anti-Semitism was popularized by Wilhelm Marr, a German nationalist who sought to distinguish his anti-Jewish ideology from the crass bigotry of the common folk by dressing his hate up in pseudoscientific terms.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
One 2012 poll found that 23% of White evangelical voters were uncomfortable with Romney’s religion.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
If the air conditioner is set too high, then the home may be just as uncomfortable as the air outdoors.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
After a night that featured 38 foul calls and a gritty Connecticut team determined to make a statement in Atlanta, the Dream clinched a 91-74 win over the Sun in a back-and-forth matchup that started rough but ended on a high note in their first Commissioner’s Cup game.—
Micahya Costen,
AJC.com,
3 June 2026
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The comps were particularly rough that season, as the NYC-OKC skirmish was no match for what would prove to be Michael Jordan’s final championship in Chicago.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Apparently some fans were using some vulgar language toward Brunson in Game 1.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
-
Doolan also received several emails calling her a vulgar word that typically refers to women.—
Maven Navarro
June 3,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Yet at the height of his triumph, Brooks was uneasy.—
Rob Wolfe,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
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After feeling uneasy about being famous for comedy at first, Faris now sees it as a privilege.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
There is a profound difference between rude political commentary and language that normalizes violence against other human beings.—
Naperville Sun,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
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In other words, leaving early isn't inherently rude.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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The disparity has forced Goldman into the awkward position of defending a seat he’s held for two terms by running, at least in part, as the outsider.—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
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Between see-through fabrics, ill-fitting straps, and awkward hemlines, there are plenty of misses.—
Better Homes & Gardens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rough-hewn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-hewn. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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