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
Each piece is lace-free, merging rugged Timberland heritage with Telfar’s sleek, genderless design approach.
—
Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
Designed specifically for civil protection applications, the robot combines intuitive control, artificial intelligence, and rugged mechanical design to assist emergency workers in some of the most challenging environments.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2025
Bruins have topped 40 points in four of five games this season — against rugged schedule.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 29 Sep. 2025
Orange Lutheran has played a rugged nonleague schedule.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rugged
Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
Designed specifically for civil protection applications, the robot combines intuitive control, artificial intelligence, and rugged mechanical design to assist emergency workers in some of the most challenging environments.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2025
Bruins have topped 40 points in four of five games this season — against rugged schedule.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 29 Sep. 2025
Orange Lutheran has played a rugged nonleague schedule.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rugged
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rugged
Adjective
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No matter what someone’s day entails, a sturdy tote bag is sure to come in handy.—
L. Daniela Alvarez,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Sep. 2025
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If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Lammens was perhaps fortunate to escape sanction then (Stuart Atwell booked the forward for diving), but this was a valuable occasion ahead of tougher tests, beginning at Anfield.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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There will be some tough picking in there, but typically the predicting business gets a little easier in region play.—
Tyler Palmateer,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This pays off to some extent because Day-Lewis is such a mesmerizing presence, Ray’s gruff manner and terse communications hinting at dark mysteries to be revealed.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Sep. 2025
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Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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He would not be drawn on whether that tension could have triggered a muscular reaction.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Fitness Optimization Runners with strong endurance, aerobic capacity, and muscular strength maintain faster paces.—
Christopher Bergland,
Verywell Health,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Along the way, Juano offered bits of mountaineering history and recounted legendary first ascents of the jagged peaks surrounding us.—
Scott Yorko,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
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Karst formations, a porous rock, stick out as jagged protrusions in between lush forest and provide plenty of places for small creatures to hide.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Abrego Garcia’s lawyers have argued that travel to Moshannon is far more difficult for members of the defense team based in Nashville, and not easier for those in New York.—
Christine Valora,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Sep. 2025
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Senator Collins has proven in the past to be able to win in very difficult environments, 2008 being an example of that.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Palace’s results this season are all the more impressive on the back of a turbulent summer that was totally overshadowed by the decisions made by UEFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport to demote the club from the Europa League to the Conference League.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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While hundreds of people who were arrested went free without charge during that turbulent year, prosecutors are now pointing to those past protests in a warning to people who hope to send a message about ICE.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 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 5 Oct. 2025.
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