1
as in sturdy
able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure
a rugged construction that survived for hundreds of years
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2
as in tough
difficult to endure
the incredibly rugged conditions that the polar explorers faced
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3
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
the warrior's rugged features frightened the child
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4
as in muscular
having muscles capable of exerting great physical force
a rugged athlete who's competing in weight lifting in the Olympics
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5
as in jagged
not having a level or smooth surface
rugged terrain that made for slow going
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6
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
even more rugged than most ultramarathons, this one crosses a desert
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7
as in turbulent
marked by turmoil or disturbance especially of natural elements
New Hampshire's Mount Washington has some of the ruggedest weather in all of North America
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8
as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste
the kind of rugged humor that men have traditionally enjoyed at stag parties
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rugged
This will create a cascading effect that adds movement to the overall design and softens the stone’s rugged edges.
—
Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 18 Apr. 2025
Birkenstock Kalahari Sandal These rugged Kalahari sandals are built for adventure.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2025
Average or above skaters who can make plays and contribute to the rugged side of the game.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
This ceramic vase has a rugged, natural matte texture and measures 14.4 inches high, so it’s bound to be a statement piece on your table, mantle, etc.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rugged
Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 18 Apr. 2025
Birkenstock Kalahari Sandal These rugged Kalahari sandals are built for adventure.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2025
Average or above skaters who can make plays and contribute to the rugged side of the game.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
This ceramic vase has a rugged, natural matte texture and measures 14.4 inches high, so it’s bound to be a statement piece on your table, mantle, etc.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rugged
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rugged
Adjective
-
Get to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
-
It’s entirely made of cotton that has been coated with polyvinyl to create a sturdy material with the look of pebbled leather, which is as water-resistant and stain-repellent as hide.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Published in English, Tehelka had a small circulation but an outsized reputation for tough investigations.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
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Jimmie Woods-Gray, a member of the city’s fire commission, said that cutting the Equity Bureau is a necessary step in a tough budget year.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The actor behind the gruff but lovable Roy Kent shared a purrfectly eccentric analogy about the show's return on a recent episode of NPR's Wild Card podcast.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Bowling paints with the rhythm of a gruff intellectual.—
James Russell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The muscular gizzard contains grit pecked up from the chicken’s ground feeding, which is used to crush up the chicken’s food.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2025
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The lack of a muscular public reaction to the AP being under fire from the Trump team has also exposed divisions in the WHCA.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Boulders offer a jagged look For a rugged look, consider a retaining wall made from large boulders.—
Katherine McLaughlin,
Architectural Digest,
18 Apr. 2025
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All those letters are real, and all those jagged lines were the work of scissors.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Whitecaps won games in Mexico, which is difficult to do.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2025
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The transition can be extremely difficult for some.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Which brings me to another important lesson from turbulent times: market timing (still) does not work.—
Jill Schlesinger,
Mercury News,
28 Apr. 2025
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That might be the ultimate takeaway for leaders navigating turbulent times.—
Karl Moore,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Those other countries don’t seem to have the same proportion of crass blowhards in their political structure as the U.S.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2025
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Slipshod, crass, and sick, these jokes, dialling in from abroad and at home, were distinct from the humor that had followed other U.S. catastrophes.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
The New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rugged. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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