scabrous

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 In the world of The Boys, based on the gleefully scabrous 2000s indie comic-book series of the same name by writer Garth Ennis and artist Darick Robertson, superheroes are real, pop-culture-dominating, and with rare exceptions, entirely unheroic. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2024 At nearly three hours, the anthology film was divisive: Some hailed its scabrous take on human nature as brilliant, and others derided it as bloated. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 May 2024 Malcolm is the pressure-release valve in Baumbach's scabrous follow-up to 2005's The Squid and the Whale, and one of many points of contention between Margot and Pauline. Erik Adams, EW.com, 18 July 2023 This dirty Pommie duo make scabrous gold on UK Grim, their 12th studio album. Spin Staff, SPIN, 12 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for scabrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scabrous
Adjective
  • Otherwise, the 27-year-old’s immeasurable talent has been enough to compensate for the shortcomings of Red Bull’s car, which has proven troublesome since midway through last season.
    Luke Smith, New York Times, 10 July 2025
  • Work will be done to improve a troublesome railroad crossing for motorists in the center of Mt. Juliet for the second time in about four years.
    Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • Managing corporate and business travel doesn’t need to be a vexing problem or an ongoing headache.
    Egor Karpovich, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
  • Equally vexing are Trump’s long-running demands that Seoul should pay more to host the some 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • Both were armed with their own social media companies, spewing ad hominem attacks, with vexatious claims playing out in public.
    Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
  • This third vexatious attempt will fail to do anything other than prove that the signatories have less intelligence —and independent thoughts — than sheep.
    Sophie Clark Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • But earth sign parents can also lean toward being stubborn and strict, which may cause friction during a stand off or while navigating discipline or tough conversations.
    Kara Nesvig, Parents, 15 July 2025
  • Economists also will keep an eye on shelter prices, which have been a stubborn component keeping readings higher.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • This is especially worrisome since the Tesla launched its Robotaxi service less than two weeks ago on June 22.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 4 July 2025
  • Baird analyst Jonathan Komp said in a note last week that some of the bearish sentiment on Wolverine stock is overdone, especially in light of its strong first-quarter results that proved its exposure to tariffs is perhaps not as worrisome as previously feared.
    Brian Evans, CNBC, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Advocates argue that these policies are traumatizing for the children and that legal representation is crucial for navigating the complex immigration system.
    Nicol León, AZCentral.com, 22 July 2025
  • These complex, multistep activities require sustained focus, planning, problem-solving, and a commitment to working toward a goal—all valuable skills for anyone to develop.
    Christine Carrig, The Atlantic, 21 July 2025
Adjective
  • Social Security’s internal workings are so recondite and poorly understood by average voters that numerous possible ways of imposing benefit cuts or otherwise harming the program are hiding in plain sight.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2024
  • In retrospect, the integer distance problem was waiting for mathematicians who were willing to consider more unruly curves than hyperbolas and then draw on recondite tools from algebraic geometry and number theory to tame them.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
Adjective
  • While business leaders understand that activating AI is a significant effort, their understanding tends to be abstract.
    Patrick Moorhead, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • Editor’s tip: Browse the property’s private art collection, including abstract works by Jordi Boldó and black-and-white images by the contemporary photographer Graciela Iturbide.
    Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 13 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Scabrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scabrous. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.

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