1
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
a survivalist living in a rough-hewn shelter in the wilderness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste
a rough-hewn kid who had to learn how to behave properly in polite company
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
rough-hewn military cadets feeling a little self-conscious at their first formal dance
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rough-hewn
Welles gets Dylan comparisons all the time owing to his rough-hewn vocal grain, the harmonica propped up around his face like orthodontic headgear, and a young Bob being the average person’s main reference point for wordy folk music with a bent toward social commentary.
—
Jack Denton, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
In December of 2024, our sister site Deadline reported that the series’ leads — Kelly Reilly, who plays badass Beth Dutton, and Cole Hauser, who is Beth’s husband, rough-hewn Rip Wheeler — had struck deals to reprise their roles in a new spinoff.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 14 Feb. 2025
The tunnel’s entrances, designed by Snøhetta, will feature rough-hewn rock walls, walkways, and a road bridge to blend with the natural landscape and provide scenic viewpoints, potentially boosting local tourism too.
—David Nikel, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
The new, rough-hewn, working-class actors like Albert Finney, Alan Bates and Anthony Hopkins were her peers.
—Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough-hewn
Jack Denton, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
In December of 2024, our sister site Deadline reported that the series’ leads — Kelly Reilly, who plays badass Beth Dutton, and Cole Hauser, who is Beth’s husband, rough-hewn Rip Wheeler — had struck deals to reprise their roles in a new spinoff.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 14 Feb. 2025
The tunnel’s entrances, designed by Snøhetta, will feature rough-hewn rock walls, walkways, and a road bridge to blend with the natural landscape and provide scenic viewpoints, potentially boosting local tourism too.
—David Nikel, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
The new, rough-hewn, working-class actors like Albert Finney, Alan Bates and Anthony Hopkins were her peers.
—Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough-hewn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-hewn
Adjective
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Imagine being cuddled by long-legged, clumsy poodles.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2025
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That’s — actually kind of genius, especially if the Poet was a clumsy fella who needed that kind of precautionary measure.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Alfonso goes head-to-head against a crass but famous on social media CEO Shari de Jesus (Kyline Alcantara), who is being mentored by a powerful industry veteran Velma Imperial (Ruffa Gutierrez).—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
20 Apr. 2025
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Trump sued Maher in 2013 for $5 million after the comedian made a crass joke about his mother and an orangutan.—
Steff Danielle Thomas,
The Hill,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Because that bigger picture is a murky, uncomfortable state.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
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Not only is this uncomfortable, but scratching (which is hard to resist) can increase the risk of hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation.—
Sierra Leone Starks,
Allure,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman had a rough outing against the New York Yankees on Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Oz has had 30 (homers) and 100 (RBIs) before and can have some rough patches and still has a way of coming out of it.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The comments in screen shots of the chat room were demeaning and vulgar – as were the texts from the anonymous messenger who had sent her the images.—
Yoonjung Seo and Mike Valerio,
CNN Money,
25 Apr. 2025
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Where once was the vulgar, now lies the Vulgate, a common relatable almost religious experience that all at Barclays seemed to feel.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Consumer sentiment and expectations Americans are feeling uneasy about the economy, and that is showing up in the data.—
Russ Wiles,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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Still, Ruark is increasingly uneasy about the future.—
Catherine Baab,
Quartz,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The spill killed 11 people and injured 17 others as 210 million gallons of crude oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico (recently renamed by the U.S. government as Gulf of America) for a total of 87 days.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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But recently the price of Russian crude oil, called Urals, has dipped close to $50 per barrel.—
Laura Kelly,
The Hill,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Be Courtesy To Other Shoppers To a Southerner, manners are top of mind, so pushing, shoving, and being rude over buying things doesn’t jive with a genteel way of life.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
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The same employee, who Shea said was also rude to her, answered and told her the company was closed.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rough-hewn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-hewn. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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