Synonyms of scabrous

scabrous

adjective

as in troublesome

Related Words

• troublesome
• vexing
• vexatious
• stubborn
• troublous
• worrisome
• complex
• recondite
• abstract
• intricate
• abstruse
• serious
• problem
• complicated
• painful
• oppressive
• spiny
• involved
• importunate
• exhausting
• hairy
• knotty
• burdensome
• onerous
• exacting
• thorny
• inconvenient
• stressful
• hard
• demanding
• difficult
• prickly
• sensitive
• sticky
• problematic
• touchy
• ticklish
• catchy
• tricky
• discommoding
• dodgy
• tough
• tricksy
• nasty
• delicate

Dissimilar Words

• uncomplicated
• easy
• simple
• straightforward
• painless
• manageable
• effortless
• undemanding
• unproblematic

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

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