1
as in crude
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining
unrefined sugar
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 unrefined
Peserico, too, focused on wearability, presenting a collection that showed us that being unfussy doesn’t mean unrefined.
—
Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Choose unrefined or virgin coconut oil over refined options, and perform a patch test to help avoid irritation or allergic reactions.
—Carrie Madormo, Health, 14 Nov. 2025
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 menu includes espresso drinks like mochas and lattes, along with drip coffee and cafe de olla, enhanced with a sweet syrup made with spices and piloncillo, unrefined sugar traditional in Latin America.
—Mario Cortez, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for unrefined
Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Choose unrefined or virgin coconut oil over refined options, and perform a patch test to help avoid irritation or allergic reactions.
—Carrie Madormo, Health, 14 Nov. 2025
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 menu includes espresso drinks like mochas and lattes, along with drip coffee and cafe de olla, enhanced with a sweet syrup made with spices and piloncillo, unrefined sugar traditional in Latin America.
—Mario Cortez, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for unrefined
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrefined
Adjective
-
Even young Oklahoma City required a clumsy postseason audition.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The driver and his accomplice then mounted a clumsy getaway that resulted in their scooter crashing about three blocks from the scene, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
One day, Dahlstrom made a vulgar joke in a lunchroom referencing oral sex and pubic hair, according to the employee.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Doncic claimed Bitadze directed a vulgar comment about Doncic’s family in Serbian toward the Lakers star guard.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Right now in America, when our discourse has gotten so crass and mean-spirited that to show the underlying kindness of this show is really resonating.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The beloved slapstick comedy is 85 minutes of pure entertainment, full of increasingly chaotic adventures and shockingly crass jokes that still produce guffaws decades later.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With climate change causing storms to be stronger and rougher than in the past, communities up and down the California coast are facing a similar challenge, as other aging wooden piers suffer damage, leaving cities facing large bills while the public clamors to keep the popular attractions open.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Using your fingers and the outside edges of your palms, press in any rough spots or remaining dry bits of dough.—
Chris Morocco,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rain, April’s rude house guest, visits erratically and unannounced.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Some lawyers think a video shows a Texas judge being rude to an IT worker.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There are also several primitive campgrounds spaced out around the park.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Seidle sketches out miniature worlds on his Casio with the oblong abstractions of a kindergartener doodling on a piece of paper, his primitive songs existing in a kind of nascent pre-genre state.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But the arc — first raising expectations for a big reveal, then declaring there was nothing to see, and ultimately a forced, flawed document dump — was a stubbornly problematic storyline that ran through her time as attorney general.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Now a national policy that risks worsening care and eroding patient dignity is being justified by a single, flawed data point.—
Diego Schaps,
STAT,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The nation and the world have long since become accustomed to Trump’s loutish behavior, coarse vocabulary and disrespect for the dignity of his office and America’s reputation.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Didier—tall, blondish, and well fed—took a black iron pan having fairly high, curving sides, set it near the edge of the hot, flat metal cooktop, filled it halfway with coarse salt, and every so often shook it back and forth.—
Jeffrey Steingarten,
Vogue,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unrefined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrefined. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
