1
as in crude
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining
unrefined sugar
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
an unrefined mountaineer's hut
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste
guilty of such unrefined behavior as eating with their mouths open
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unrefined
Getty Images Industry proposals would ship unrefined ore to overseas processors, with no domestic value added or direct supply chain benefits.
—
Kevin Green, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
The facade is made of raw concrete plaster that was intentionally left to weather over time, resulting in a rough, unrefined exterior that is contrasted by mahogany doors, oak paneling, and large glass windows.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 18 July 2025
When adding flavor after cooking, reach for extra virgin olive oil, or something like unrefined sesame oil for an aromatic touch.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
Meanwhile, the Asian giant was the top importer of copper ore and unrefined copper, accounting for roughly 60% of total imports in 2023, compared to just 17% in 2013, separate data from the trade agency showed.
—Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unrefined
Kevin Green, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
The facade is made of raw concrete plaster that was intentionally left to weather over time, resulting in a rough, unrefined exterior that is contrasted by mahogany doors, oak paneling, and large glass windows.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 18 July 2025
When adding flavor after cooking, reach for extra virgin olive oil, or something like unrefined sesame oil for an aromatic touch.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
Meanwhile, the Asian giant was the top importer of copper ore and unrefined copper, accounting for roughly 60% of total imports in 2023, compared to just 17% in 2013, separate data from the trade agency showed.
—Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unrefined
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrefined
Adjective
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Under the new terms of the license, Chevron was authorized to pay fees and royalties to Venezuela in oil but not in cash, effectively reducing Chevron’s crude exports from the country by half, according to Reuters.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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Jet fuels and other petroleum products are refined from crude oil, and contain chemicals that are toxic to humans when inhaled.—
Connor Giffin,
Louisville Courier Journal,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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For starters, even at 4 mm by 4 mm, the Utah array would be too big and clumsy a hunk of hardware for Science to implant in the eye or Synchron to thread through a vein.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
-
What resulted is one of the most comic, counterproductive, and clumsy episodes in the long history of British efforts to deal with Ireland.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Who decides what’s decorous and what’s vulgar?—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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The president has been targeting Jeffries online with offensive and vulgar memes since the pair first had an unsuccessful sit-down meeting in the Oval Office just before the shutdown.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Other government notices mentioned the size and rough location of the construction.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Yams tend to be white fleshed with a rough, brown exterior.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
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People who are rude or unaware with receptionists can poison your culture, create unnecessary hierarchies, and drive your best people to leave.—
Jessica Neal,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
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In a post on the AITA subreddit, the original poster (OP) explained that her sister, 34, who's always rude to her, has a 6-year-old son.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Few appetizers are as easy to prepare and universally appealing as a steamy bowl of edamame pods enhanced with coarse salt.—
Tammy Algood,
Southern Kitchen,
11 Nov. 2025
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Simply pump the handle to cut food into fine, chunky, or coarse bits as needed.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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If successful, this productive force— supposed to be restorative, in at least some visions—would grow up in symbiosis with primitive fossil capital.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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These samples provide insights into primitive carbonaceous material, the water, and the organic content of early solar system bodies.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unrefined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrefined. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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