1
as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
a roughness to the wine that should decrease with age
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rudeness
the quality or state of lacking refinement or good taste
the roughness of pioneer life is not glossed over in the documentary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of roughness
That means that one in every 17 miles of Idaho roads studied scored poor on the roughness index.
—
Rose Evans
may 11, Idaho Statesman, 11 May 2026
With just the right amount of roughness, the ocean is the perfect place for littles ones to exert their boundless energy.
—Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 2 May 2026
There were areas that felt intimate and communal, contrasted by the industrial bones of the space, exposed materials, scale, and a certain roughness that kept it from feeling too polished.
—Maddie Topliff, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Apr. 2026
The roughness has to do with our times.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Tiny imperfections, including surface roughness, slight misalignments, and stray electrical charges, can destabilize the trap.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026
The unique roughness of the PR cobbles is his biggest obstacle.
—Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The coaster features seven inversions, and was plagued by complaints for its roughness after its debut.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
In the final two minutes and overtime, the limits expand to include unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct.
—Nick Harris
april 1, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2026
Rose Evans
may 11, Idaho Statesman, 11 May 2026
With just the right amount of roughness, the ocean is the perfect place for littles ones to exert their boundless energy.
—Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 2 May 2026
There were areas that felt intimate and communal, contrasted by the industrial bones of the space, exposed materials, scale, and a certain roughness that kept it from feeling too polished.
—Maddie Topliff, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Apr. 2026
The roughness has to do with our times.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Tiny imperfections, including surface roughness, slight misalignments, and stray electrical charges, can destabilize the trap.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026
The unique roughness of the PR cobbles is his biggest obstacle.
—Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The coaster features seven inversions, and was plagued by complaints for its roughness after its debut.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
In the final two minutes and overtime, the limits expand to include unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct.
—Nick Harris
april 1, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughness
Noun
-
Charlotte struggled to surmount her anger and bitterness toward her once-dear sibling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
This tendency, called marcescence, may have developed a few million years ago to discourage large mammals from browsing on trees in winter due to the bitterness of the tannin-rich leaves surrounding buds.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
What was His message in turning over the tables, besides showing His rudeness?—
John Kenney,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
-
But if there truly is an epidemic of canine defecation in your area, then the solution is not to turn up the rudeness volume, but to appeal to a system or organization that addresses public health or the care of public spaces.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship moored off the western coast of Africa is gripping a world primed by recent painful experience to be on edge for the next Covid-19-like event.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
7 May 2026
-
But there’s a significant difference in setting the edge on the college level and doing it in the NFL, where the offensive tackles and tight ends are usually bigger and stronger.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
That feeling stops, however, when pulling into gas stations or parking lots, where the length and lowness of the car require extreme care to keep the chin from scraping.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The third Ember Group restaurant, scheduled to open June 1, is Imoto, another small plate spot that specializes in sushi and other Asian bites.—
Connie Ogle
Updated May 8,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
-
This free Saturday series offers full-service food and drink, with beer, cider, cocktails and local bites on site.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
But many seemingly urbane texts also benefited from the intellectual and moral coarseness of their times.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The term plant texture refers to the fineness or coarseness, roughness or smoothness, heaviness or lightness of a particular plant.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The harshness or relentlessness of weather can turn friends to lovers, can cause others to lose their minds, can provoke travel across continents, can cancel plans, can reroute rivers, can flood civilizations, can incite both panic and delight, can wash away a life’s work, can set fire to forests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
-
Concrete and glass meet at sharp angles, while a curved courtyard wall softens the harshness.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Trinidad and Tobago disputes the spill’s size and severity, saying only 10 barrels spilled on May 1 and were quickly contained.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
Research shows a strong link between HS severity and metabolic factors like obesity and insulin resistance, which contribute to a chronic pro-inflammatory state.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roughness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughness. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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