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
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
The roughness of a curling stone is what allows the rocks to curl.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Original floors were maintained and Valéry, with the help of his brother Louis-Antoine, kept the rustic roughness of the walls, which helps the hotel preserve a sense of history.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
Over time, turbine blades are exposed to surface roughness due to erosion, oxidation and mechanical wear.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
What constitutes pass interference or unnecessary roughness can vary dramatically from one crew to another, and even from quarter to quarter within the same game.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, shea butter softens roughness and delivers a youthful glow.
—Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 17 Jan. 2026
Each street segment is assigned a Pavement Condition Index score based on roughness and cracks.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Following that theft at the Eagles’ 38-yard line with 12 minutes remaining, backup safety Marques Sigle delivered an unnecessary-roughness hit on a sliding Hurts, vaulting the Eagles toward the red zone and ultimately a 33-yard Jake Elliott field goal for a 19-17 lead with 8 minutes remaining.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 15 Feb. 2026
The roughness of a curling stone is what allows the rocks to curl.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Original floors were maintained and Valéry, with the help of his brother Louis-Antoine, kept the rustic roughness of the walls, which helps the hotel preserve a sense of history.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
Over time, turbine blades are exposed to surface roughness due to erosion, oxidation and mechanical wear.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
What constitutes pass interference or unnecessary roughness can vary dramatically from one crew to another, and even from quarter to quarter within the same game.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, shea butter softens roughness and delivers a youthful glow.
—Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 17 Jan. 2026
Each street segment is assigned a Pavement Condition Index score based on roughness and cracks.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Following that theft at the Eagles’ 38-yard line with 12 minutes remaining, backup safety Marques Sigle delivered an unnecessary-roughness hit on a sliding Hurts, vaulting the Eagles toward the red zone and ultimately a 33-yard Jake Elliott field goal for a 19-17 lead with 8 minutes remaining.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughness
Noun
-
Anger over the bloodshed now adds to the bitterness over the economy, which has been hollowed out by decades of sanctions, corruption and mismanagement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The bright fragrant baking spice from Angostura Bitters is replaced with the deep earth of the Cynar whose bitterness brings a constant low hum, like engine noise on an airplane.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
People do not generally express rudeness through presents.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The language is infused with intensity, lust and earthy rudeness: Climbs have names like Fingerbang Princess and Tinkerbell Bandersnatch.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Arm's chip designs power most of the world's smartphones and are increasingly used in AI data centers and edge computing devices.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
-
On Thursday afternoon, OpenAI released a new cutting-edge coding model that the company said assisted in its own creation.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 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
-
Stir together the remoulade as the crab cakes cook, so as little time as possible stands between you and your first bite.—
Karla Walsh,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Infected cats can carry the fungus in their claws or skin lesions, and scratches or bites can transmit the infection to humans.—
Leslie Baumann,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
An alkaline compound, baking soda is a non-toxic cleaner with a coarseness that works wonders for scrubbing grime, removing difficult stains, and deodorizing stinky odors.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Sunlight naturally sanitizes, and air drying prevents the harshness of high heat.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The tinted visor that Morgan Geekie wore for two games against the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars in January could help mute the lights’ harshness.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Prosecutors in the case recommended the death penalty as punishment for Yoon, given the severity of his crimes.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The severity of this person's injuries was not known.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roughness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughness. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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