as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste
an unpolished but well-meaning young man
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Recent Examples of unpolished
The Snodgrass version of the Van Nostrand was on display on a nearby table, unpolished.
—
Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
The goal was to keep the album centered around his raw, unpolished vocals.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2026
Zamiri’s style is well suited for the project, with parts of it reading like an extended music video, while the more documentary-like scenes have an unpolished feel.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
Where oversized, chunky, rounded silhouettes read as frumpy and unpolished, this does the exact opposite.
—Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unpolished
Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
The goal was to keep the album centered around his raw, unpolished vocals.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2026
Zamiri’s style is well suited for the project, with parts of it reading like an extended music video, while the more documentary-like scenes have an unpolished feel.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
Where oversized, chunky, rounded silhouettes read as frumpy and unpolished, this does the exact opposite.
—Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unpolished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpolished
Adjective
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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
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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
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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
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Politically incorrect and in-your-face, with plenty of dark humor accentuating the drama, the show resembles the more cutting-edge TV — think Borgen or Rita — made by Sweden’s ruder neighbor Denmark.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
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Etiquette neither knows nor cares who is generous and who is stingy, and indecisive and rude are not opposites.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The use of childish internet and video-game memes to describe violence is coarse and unworthy of the men and women who go in harm’s way.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
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My dense, coarser hair holds onto humidity like a sponge.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Heat has also now allowed more than 120 points in eight of the 10 games during this rough 2-8 stretch.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Italian coast guard operated in the Libyan search and rescue area amid rough weather conditions, a spokesman said on Wednesday.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The year was 1754, and Franklin's goal was to unite the disparate colonies into a coalition against a common enemy.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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Sei whales are endangered and are common in the Southeast's waters.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The whimsical, unrefined aesthetic appeals to Gen Z readers nostalgic for Y2K collectibles.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
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More than an unrefined sweetener, honey is a superfood packed with health benefits, which begs the question: what does eating honey every day do to your body?—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Unpolished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpolished. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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