1
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
a survivalist living in a rough-hewn shelter in the wilderness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 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
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
See All Example Sentences for rough-hewn
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
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
See All Example Sentences for rough-hewn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-hewn
Adjective
-
This layout makes the monitor a natural fit for high-traffic environments like banking counters, medical reception desks, and service queues where traditional screen-sharing is often clumsy or compromises privacy.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 June 2026
-
The clumsy third inning from the defense didn’t help Tong, who threw 27 pitches in the frame.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
With the games having kicked off, the sport has shown its ineffable power to supplant crass and capitalistic overreach.—
Emily Olsen,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Boys and young men have always enjoyed the crassest of humor.—
Donie O'Sullivan,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Still, the atmosphere was uncomfortable enough that Habermas left the institute a year later, to write his Habilitation, or second dissertation, a requirement for qualifying as a professor in German universities.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
Don’t suffer through summer in uncomfortable shoes.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
For as rough as the lineup continued to look, the injuries are yet again piling up on the pitching side.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2026
-
This gives you a rough idea of how much of each ingredient is contained in a food.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
17 June 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
-
These memories of his brief, sad human life are uneasy dreams that Lestat wakes from on his tour bus as the sun sets over the road to Toledo.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
-
On top of the tense, uneasy dynamic created by the duo’s pairing, the series is wrapped in a twisty web of peripheral problems.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
That seems a pretty rude thing to write in the newspaper.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
-
Brock isn’t being rude — far from it.—
Rachel Brodsky,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Coffee is made with a coarser grind, and the water flows through those beans under less force.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 June 2026
-
In the Age of Sail, sailors also scoured the wooden decks with coarse sea sand and holystones – large, rectangular blocks of sandstone – to remove grim, spilled tar and rope fibers.—
Peter Suciu,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rough-hewn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-hewn. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
