diamond in the rough

noun phrase

: one having exceptional qualities or potential but lacking refinement or polish

Examples of diamond in the rough in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Both albums are fantastic, but this one is the true diamond in the rough for my money. —Liza Lentini, SPIN, 21 Feb. 2025

The 25-year-old has proven to be a diamond in the rough for the Jets, who would probably like to keep their 2021 fifth-round pick after his breakout campaign in 2024. —James Boyd, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025

For years, dating in San Diego felt like trying to find a diamond in the rough. —Meredith Corbin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025

Only later, after learning that the architect was somewhat revered in his homeland, does Van Buren realize that he’s stumbled on a diamond in the rough. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025

Rare is the example in Timberwolves lore of the franchise discovering a diamond in the rough that no other team saw and polishing that diamond into the type of gem that belongs in a crown. —Anthony Slater, The Athletic, 24 Apr. 2024

Like many players recruited by Franks, Willoughby was a diamond in the rough at an MLS academy back in 2021. —Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2024

But Sardinia’s wild south, accessible by car and by flight (Cagliari Elmas Airport connects to Rome and many cities within Italy and the European Union), remains a relative diamond in the rough. —Hannah Selinger, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2024

Dear Eric: The daughter’s boyfriend in the letter from Protective Parent, who judged the boyfriend for pursuing carpentry rather than going to college, just may be a diamond in the rough. —R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for diamond in the rough

• allow
• avow
• basedow
• chiao
• endow
• eyebrow
• highbrow
• lanao
• meow
• powwow
• somehow
• anyhow