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
But even something about this roughness seems, in its way, right.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 May 2026
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
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughness
Noun
-
Add the lime juice just before serving to preserve brightness and prevent bitterness.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
How did someone emerge from such darkness without becoming consumed by bitterness?—
Norman B. Gildin,
Sun Sentinel,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Comprising classmates Nilsson, Nutt, James Falconer, Suellen Rocca, Art Green, and Karl Wirsum, the Who held their first exhibition at Chicago’s Hyde Park Art Center in 1966, ushering a new mode of dank, bawdy rudeness into the city’s milieu.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
But these days civility, much like rudeness, can ride a stream of shares and retweets to the far corners of the world.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The ball ricocheted to the edge of the infield grass, where first baseman Freddie Freeman picked it up.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 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 brakes have an initial bite, but are satisfyingly firm.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
12 June 2026
-
Before the development of effective antivenoms and modern critical care, bites from snakes with comparable venom profiles had much graver prognoses.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
12 June 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
-
There is no lag to anticipate and no visual harshness pulling attention away from the music.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
The texture is firm and mouth-filling, with the higher alcohol providing structure without harshness.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
All your Dad has to do is fill it and drink—the microfilter membrane will do the rest by removing chlorine odors, dirt, bacteria, and any other grossness floating around in there.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
-
There are no great surprises from here on out, though the sheer, lusty grossness of the fallout is occasionally startling.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roughness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughness. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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