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
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
The researchers looked at the women’s consumption of dietary fiber, total carbohydrates, refined carbohydrates, high-quality (unrefined) carbohydrates, and carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unrefined
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
The researchers looked at the women’s consumption of dietary fiber, total carbohydrates, refined carbohydrates, high-quality (unrefined) carbohydrates, and carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unrefined
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrefined
Adjective
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Big Oil leaders Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and Shell continue to hike their crude oil production volumes from West Texas’s Permian Basin to the Gulf of Mexico to deepwater Guyana despite concerns of a rising global oil glut as OPEC nations keep exporting more barrels each month.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
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Burke gave the only 9 on a panel full of 10s, prompting the crude call out.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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So, how did Musk go from a champion of the internet’s go-to reference resource to this clumsy attempt at killing it?—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
This usually happens for a variety of reasons, including love biting, fear, anxiety, being a pet, frustration, rough play, social pressure, illness, or pain.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Dolphins won six of eight after that rough start last season, and the team hopes that turnaround can be duplicated.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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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Combined with not intervening too often, this will minimize the number of rude responses.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
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Basil, of course, is far from perfect, a rude, neurotic, accident-prone manager who insults guests, hides his gambling winnings from his wife and organizes an elaborate impersonation of her when his surprise anniversary party backfires.—
Rhett Bartlett,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Start with turbinado sugar, which has a coarse texture and a caramel-like flavor that complements coffee beautifully.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
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Add cold butter; pulse just until mixture resembles coarse meal (some pea-size pieces are fine), 12 to 15 pulses.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Whether towing its matching trailer or not, the Elevance SUV is carefully designed for moving confidently from city streets to primitive stretches of off-road.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Oct. 2025
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The study also explains why some primitive meteorites formed millions of years later than the first solid bodies in the solar system.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unrefined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrefined. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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