Definition of crudenext
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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

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective crude differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of crude are raw, rough, and rude. While all these words mean "lacking in social refinement," crude may apply to thought or behavior limited to the gross, the obvious, or the primitive.

a crude joke

When could raw be used to replace crude?

In some situations, the words raw and crude are roughly equivalent. However, raw suggests being untested, inexperienced, or unfinished.

turning raw youths into polished performers

When would rough be a good substitute for crude?

The words rough and crude can be used in similar contexts, but rough is likely to stress lack of polish and gentleness.

rough manners

When might rude be a better fit than crude?

The synonyms rude and crude are sometimes interchangeable, but rude implies ignorance of or indifference to good form; it may suggest intentional discourtesy.

rude behavior

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for crude
Adjective
  • Yellowcake is a concentrated form of uranium after impurities are removed from the raw ore.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Without this specific chemical transformation, the raw uranium mined from the ground cannot be utilized as fuel for nuclear power plants.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • For example, synthetic blastoids develop a blastocoel cavity and the three main cell types (epiblast, trophectoderm, and primitive endoderm) within one week, just like natural blastocysts.
    Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
  • There are nine primitive, tent-only sites without electric access.
    Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • 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
  • Tensions rose, neighbors said, to the point that King was heard at times swearing at Kirsten Wells as well as others using vulgar epithets.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • 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
  • In a not crass way, no matter what your vice of choice is, someone who enables that behavior, even just by being there, is a really relatable idea.
    Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • But it’s played sincerely, so the visual contrast just makes the connection feel clumsy, if not outright absurd.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
  • McGee meets one of a clumsy TURF intern Pete, who is revealed to be Olivia's 18-year-old son, Matteo (Patrick Keleher) under interrogation.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The Singapore Botanical Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the world's great urban green spaces, inspired everything from the color palette (soft greens, aqua blues, natural wood tones) to the botanical motifs that appear in textiles and art throughout the property.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Though no studies have shown adverse effects from aluminum deodorants, natural deodorants sold to health-conscious consumers are generally aluminum-free.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • By the late 1950s, Houdry had invented a rudimentary catalytic converter.
    Ann E. Carlson, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The crash occurred at Tempe in northern Greece after a passenger train was placed on the wrong track, into the path of an oncoming freight train — an astonishing lapse on a rudimentary rail network.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Lauren Elliott, though, was a designer at Broderbund Games, working in a former liquor store beneath a sign that said DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCY REDUCTION DEPARTMENT alongside an impish ex-Disney animator named Gene Portwood who often doodled Mickey Mouse in obscene poses.
    Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Using obscene or abusive language Any use of profanity, insults or abusive language is prohibited under the FDCPA.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Crude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crude. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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