1
as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
a roughness to the wine that should decrease with age
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of roughness
The Texans were penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness, and a few plays later, Seattle went up 14-0 on a 32-yard touchdown strike from Darnold to Cooper Kupp.
—
Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Officials flagged Raiders left tackle Stone Forsythe for an unnecessary roughness penalty on the play.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025
Then tack on another 15 for unnecessary roughness.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
Scott was eventually penalized for unnecessary roughness.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
Not the unnecessary roughness penalties.
—Barry Jackson
updated October 19, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Williams received a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness on the play.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2025
The officials thought Baun lunged too late, flagging him 15 yards for unnecessary roughness and giving Denver a fresh set of downs while the Eagles only had one timeout remaining.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
One of Lipa’s most significant attributes is the husky tone of her mezzo-soprano, lending a gritty roughness to her songs’ pop polish.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 5 Oct. 2025
Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Officials flagged Raiders left tackle Stone Forsythe for an unnecessary roughness penalty on the play.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025
Then tack on another 15 for unnecessary roughness.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
Scott was eventually penalized for unnecessary roughness.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
Not the unnecessary roughness penalties.
—Barry Jackson
updated October 19, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Williams received a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness on the play.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2025
The officials thought Baun lunged too late, flagging him 15 yards for unnecessary roughness and giving Denver a fresh set of downs while the Eagles only had one timeout remaining.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
One of Lipa’s most significant attributes is the husky tone of her mezzo-soprano, lending a gritty roughness to her songs’ pop polish.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughness
Noun
-
Chocolate’s distinctive taste begins with cocoa beans, harvested from trees and fermented right on the cocoa farm to develop their aroma and reduce bitterness.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 Oct. 2025
-
For the signature bitterness, instead of the classic Campari, Taylor used the deeper Averna—where Campari’s orange bitterness is bright and juicy, Averna’s orange bitterness is a lower hum, like a flourless chocolate cake.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But yes, Miss Manners agrees that his rudeness justifies your ignoring his comment.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
10 Oct. 2025
-
But Takaichi has taken the strongest stances, decrying the rudeness of foreign tourists and accusing them of abusing the famous deer in Nara.—
Arata Yamamoto,
NBC news,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the deciding third round, Jandiroba had the edge early on the feet but allowed Dern to land some harder shots late.—
Brett Appley,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
KAConsulting shows a three-point lead (47–44), Quantus Insights finds a two-point edge (48–46), and Trafalgar Group/Insider Advantage reports just a one-point gap (45–44).—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
When the shark measuring about 10 feet didn’t fit through the door, Mucerino and Burress got a bite of inspiration.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
-
In their study published today in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the team describes the differences between bite tactics in these different types of snakes.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There is plenty of coarseness in American arenas totally unrelated to MAGA or Trumpism, of course.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
11 Oct. 2025
-
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,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Middleton aimed to create a score that reflects the harshness and hope of the desert setting.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The harshness of the language and the raw politicking shocked voters.—
Matt Klink,
Oc Register,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Both a quarantine and blockade are similar in essence, though differ in personnel and severity.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Scientists have tried to artificially bolster Florida’s coral populations by rearing colonies in nurseries both onshore and offshore, but the success of these efforts will depend on the frequency and severity of future bleaching events, the report said.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In fact, plenty of other things in your home surpass the toilet in terms of grossness.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Brain rot has become unavoidable, its grossness ubiquitous.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Roughness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughness. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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