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
Maine’s rugged natural beauty shapes its culture, cuisine, and way of life.
—
Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
On Cebu, the rugged terrain funnelled water straight into communities that lack sufficient drainage.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
The film was shot in Sedona because Daves wanted to use its stunning scenery, though Cochise’s story actually took place in the rugged Dragoon Mountains to the south.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
The futuristic glass pyramids and stark white domes appear in stark contrast to the rugged Sonoran desert landscape and Catalina Mountains rising in the distance.
—Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rugged
Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
On Cebu, the rugged terrain funnelled water straight into communities that lack sufficient drainage.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
The film was shot in Sedona because Daves wanted to use its stunning scenery, though Cochise’s story actually took place in the rugged Dragoon Mountains to the south.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
The futuristic glass pyramids and stark white domes appear in stark contrast to the rugged Sonoran desert landscape and Catalina Mountains rising in the distance.
—Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rugged
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rugged
Adjective
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Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Seek shelter in a sturdy structure until the storm has passed.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
This loss had to be especially tough for the Jayhawks, considering a controversial holding call on KU changed the momentum of the game.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
-
However, their record at the Etihad makes for tough reading.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Patterson was hired in a guest role as the gruff diner owner with a heart of gold, Luke Danes.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Burr plays a gruff American record-store owner who convinces a ragtag gang of teenage misfits that their best, and possibly only, chance to lose their virginity before graduating high school is at a massive open-air mass for the visiting Pope.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
On home turf, against a struggling Fulham side, this was a more muscular Everton.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
-
This summer, Vinay Prasad, a top scientist at the Food and Drug Administration, was working to place a regulatory hold on a muscular-dystrophy drug, owing to safety concerns.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Rose now realizes the smeared, dark, jagged edges are an abstract human.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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All the shadows and jagged angles evoke German Expressionism, distorting Ronnie’s confrontation into something both surreal and terrifyingly recognizable.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Jens generally chooses his words carefully, and is, what’s more, particularly reticent just after finishing a long and difficult winter delivery trip; what’s a person supposed to do with words in a blizzard anyway, up on a stormy heath and all directions lost?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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In his first start in the wake of Beau Pribula’s significant injury, Zollers walked into a difficult situation, and his stat line reflected it.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday, marking the end of a turbulent tenure defined by bold moves, fan unrest, and a season that spiraled after the controversial Luka Dončić trade.—
Andy Scholes,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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Prewitt, who has led IFTA and the AFM through some of the most turbulent years in the history of independent film — through the rise of streaming and the collapse of the theatrical market, the COVID shutdowns and the dual strikes — will be stepping down after this year’s AFM.—
Kevin Cassidy,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Each project presented at MIA is picked with a genuine desire for these works to come to the fore, not by crass commercial considerations.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
30 Sep. 2025
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Free speech covers the jokes, the satire, the parodies—even the dumb, crass, or offensive ones.—
Lizz Winstead,
Time,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rugged. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
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