1
2
3

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective uneven contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of uneven are harsh, rough, rugged, and scabrous. While all these words mean "not smooth or even," uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality.

an old house with uneven floors

When is harsh a more appropriate choice than uneven?

The synonyms harsh and uneven are sometimes interchangeable, but harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch.

a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

In what contexts can rough take the place of uneven?

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

a rough wooden board

When could rugged be used to replace uneven?

The words rugged and uneven are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel.

a rugged landscape

When is it sensible to use scabrous instead of uneven?

While the synonyms scabrous and uneven are close in meaning, scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface.

a scabrous leaf

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 uneven Despite his uneven Sunday, Griffin still showed flashes of the ability that has led him to a pair of PGA Tour wins in 2025. Troy Finnegan‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 June 2025 The lightweight, foldable and waterproof NEO unit goes from car to course, and is built to handle any uneven terrain around the ground, when loaded up with a golf bag, full set of clubs and other accessories. Bronwyn Thompson, New Atlas, 29 May 2025 Our tester immediately noticed the difference in stability and said her feet didn’t feel tired, even after a mile-long walk across sidewalks, grass, and uneven concrete. Lauren Paige Richeson, Health, 29 May 2025 Bread crumbs • Props to the hair, makeup, and costuming departments for differentiating Kiki’s Simone from pre-Michaela Simone, who showed up to the island with a scraggly ponytail, a gray button-down, uneven skin, and scrawled tattoos. Caroline Framke, Vulture, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for uneven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uneven
Adjective
  • May 31, 2025 The jagged ridges in the green mountains above Spruce Pine look strange at first, as if they were scratched into the surface by giant claws.
    Mike Belleme, New York Times, 31 May 2025
  • Especially when exploring all the jagged edges can be as delicious as it has been executed in Sirens.
    Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Adjective
  • Throughout the film, newspaper headlines and snippets of TV contextualize the story against the backdrop of anti-Vietnam demonstrations, colleges retaliating to student campus protests and aggressive policing, along with glimpses of Richard Nixon’s crooked grin.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
  • The moon's insides are crooked thanks to the near side being some 306 degrees Fahrenheit hotter at depth than its counterpart on the lunar far side.
    Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • If your skin is extremely dry and rough, however, the La Roche-Posay Body Moisturizer is rich in prebiotic thermal water, shea butter, and niacinamide is another one of Tookes’ recommendations.
    India Espy-Jones, Essence, 2 June 2025
  • Cloudy skies, rough surf and limited battery life can all reduce their effectiveness.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • The image of a bourbon drinker has too often been that of a white cis male and his friends hanging out in rugged environments.
    Diana Lambdin Meyer, USA Today, 7 June 2025
  • More than 100 officers are involved in the search covering rugged terrain in Washington's Cascade Mountains, with over 500 tips received from the public, according to the Chelan County Sheriff's Office.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • That unequal treatment presents a serious problem under current free exercise law.
    Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
  • The federal lawsuit alleges that Troy violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), a federal law protecting individuals and religious institutions from unequal or discriminatory land use regulations.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • The Yankees’ third baseman said that he’s been playing at 70% since returning from an oblique strain on Tuesday.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 7 June 2025
  • Chisholm had missed more than a month with an oblique strain.
    Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • But the murder forced UHG to face a harsh fact: The health care system has never felt more broken to the patients it’s meant to serve.
    Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 2 June 2025
  • Cleaning up debris In the Sunday mid-morning heat, Heather Garcia and Tomlin were outside cleaning their yards, picking up the seemingly endless bits of broken glass.
    Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2025
Adjective
  • Sitting places the glutes in a lengthened, inactive state that pushes the pelvis forward and puts the lower back at a painfully compressed, mechanical disadvantage, which in turn creates a posture that feels tight, stiff and unstable.
    Dana Santas, CNN Money, 30 May 2025
  • The mountain side of the glacier had been unstable since last week, when millions of pounds of rock debris fell onto the glacier surface, Davies said.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 29 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uneven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uneven. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on uneven

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!