1
as in raw
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining
a sizable spill of crude oil along a coastline is the worst kind of environmental disaster
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in primitive
belonging to or characteristic of an early level of skill or development
the crude stone tools that those prehistoric peoples used
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3
as in vulgar
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
crude jokes can be considered sexual harassment
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4
as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste
any discussion of one's money is considered crude by the club's blue-blooded members
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5
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
a crude hut that was constructed by some shipwrecked sailors
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crude
Adjective
-
This stylish lace top fits that bill with its dainty swiss dot design and airy boho raw-hem sleeves.—
Madeline Merinuk,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026 -
Vibrio, a bacteria found in salt and brackish water, is contracted when wounds are exposed to water containing the bacteria or eat raw or undercooked shellfish.—
Eva Flowe
May 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
This was a time when roads were primitive, and the need was to link cities with rural areas.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Any set of prime numbers is automatically primitive, because primes have no factors (except themselves and the number one).—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But demeaning our brand through association with vulgar demagogues is a losing strategy.—
Alma Hernandez,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
The word was considered so vulgar that it was left out of early dictionaries and was rarely printed, though Adams says people were certainly using it.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The bold phrase caused an uproar among fans; while some praised the model for her bravado, others criticized her for being crass.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
-
Plastic trinkets and graffiti, television sets and bumper stickers, road signs and wigs—many might describe these items as disposable culture, signs of America’s crass habit of regarding anything as art.—
Hua Hsu,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Our hands soon became insensitive, clumsy hooks.—
Jim Hoagland,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The production is a revival of the disappointingly fussy, clumsy, old-fashioned one by Lee Blakeley the company unveiled in 2013 for Conlon and to celebrate the Verdi bicentennial.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The emirate has just 72 kilometers (45 miles) of natural shoreline, but artificial islands and peninsulas have provided far more beachfront for its 4 million residents, and the millionaires and billionaires who collect such properties.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of roasting, the dehydrating preserves natural flavor and delivers Daily Crunch's signature Uniquely Crunchy bite.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Embracing a visual vocabulary of the lowbrow and the rudimentary is a tried-and-true method of rebelling against a culture that feels vapid or corporatized.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
6 May 2026
-
The builders demonstrated a rudimentary understanding of engineering, deliberately placing each bone to exploit its natural geometry.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Faced with that reality, our inability to relate to one another becomes almost obscene.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
For instance, the ruling recognized that the government’s need to protect national security might require it to prevent publication of the number and location of troops and that the primary requirements of decency might require censorship of obscene publications.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Crude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crude. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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