SCABROUS Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'scabrous' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of scabrous are harsh , rough , rugged , and uneven . While all these words mean "not smooth or even," scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface. // a scabrous leaf

Q: Where would 'harsh' be a reasonable alternative to 'scabrous'?

The meanings of harsh and scabrous largely overlap; however, harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch. // a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

Q: When would 'rough' be a good substitute for 'scabrous'?

While in some cases nearly identical to scabrous , rough implies points, bristles, ridges, or projections on the surface. // a rough wooden board

Q: When could 'rugged' be used to replace 'scabrous'?

While the synonyms rugged and scabrous are close in meaning, rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel. // a rugged landscape

Q: When is it sensible to use 'uneven' instead of 'scabrous'?

The words uneven and scabrous can be used in similar contexts, but uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality. // an old house with uneven floors

scabrous

adjective

Definition of scabrous

as in troublesome

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective scabrous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of scabrous are harsh, rough, rugged, and uneven. While all these words mean "not smooth or even," scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface.

a scabrous leaf

Where would harsh be a reasonable alternative to scabrous?

The meanings of harsh and scabrous largely overlap; however, harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch.

a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

When would rough be a good substitute for scabrous?

While in some cases nearly identical to scabrous, rough implies points, bristles, ridges, or projections on the surface.

a rough wooden board

When could rugged be used to replace scabrous?

While the synonyms rugged and scabrous are close in meaning, rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel.

a rugged landscape

When is it sensible to use uneven instead of scabrous?

The words uneven and scabrous can be used in similar contexts, but uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality.

an old house with uneven floors

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of scabrous Pope Francis often made scabrous criticisms of younger, more tradition-minded priests and faithful. — The Editors, National Review, 8 May 2025 Lamar mirrors Nas’s slow build to a scabrous eruption, followed by exhaustion. — Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024 Is this Scott redoing American Gangster as a grand Italian tragedy, or scabrous comedy about a family undone by their ineptitude and excess? — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024 Jacobs wrote the script with these three actors in mind, which was perhaps shocking news to each of them, who play scabrous women who locate the worst characteristics of each other and then blow them up into throwdown fights. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for scabrous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scabrous

Adjective

Antibiotic overuse remains common for other conditions of later life, too, including the kind of urinary tract infections that cause no troublesome symptoms and upper respiratory infections that are typically viral, not bacterial.

— Paula Span, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
In Bad Apples, Maria ends up accidentally taking and locking her troublesome student, Danny, in her home following a series of questionable decisions and a desperate moment.

— Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of troublesome

Adjective

The Miami Herald spoke with each of them in the days ahead of the election to discuss their ideas to address a few of Florida’s most vexing problems.

— Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026
Sticky Glue There is nothing more vexing than the sticky debris leftover from a price tag, label, or a child’s sticker placed randomly around the house.

— Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 11 July 2026

Definition of vexing

Adjective

After the new law came into force in 2024, a large number of vexatious complaints were launched in protest, and gender critical and trans campaigners argued over which group most needed the law’s protection.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
On one side is challenger Holly Cook, who has filed for bankruptcy twice, been held in contempt of court on nine counts, been pursued by multiple collections agencies and once was labeled a vexatious litigant, court records showed.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 13 May 2026

Definition of vexatious

Adjective

Apple's stubborn insistence on keeping base iPhones at 60Hz while budget Android phones offer zippier refresh rates has always baffled me.

— Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026
Bigger paychecks sought While the economy may be showing signs of acceleration, stubborn inflation has eroded Americans’ take-home pay.

— Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of stubborn

Adjective

More worrisome is whether the Dolphins have a single long-term starter on their defensive line.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026
Kanter, who also played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz, contends his ticket arrangement wasn’t unusual or worrisome.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of worrisome

Adjective

The team is developing ways to use aerosol jet printing to deposit electronic materials with high precision on complex surfaces.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
Key Takeaways Pair complex carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats to help keep blood sugar stable and prevent spikes.

— Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of complex

Adjective

Yet American students and scholars flocked in droves to theory, perceiving in its recondite abstractions a thrilling new way of understanding the world—even, some believed, of changing it.

— Emily Eakin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
This includes courses such as the notoriously recondite organic chemistry as well as biology, general chemistry, and physics.

— Richard Menger MD MPA, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025

Definition of recondite

Browse Nearby Words

scabby

scabrous

scabs

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Scabrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scabrous. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of scabrous

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nemesis

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes