crude

adjective

ˈkrüd How to pronounce crude (audio)
Definition of crudenext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed a crude hut that was constructed by some shipwrecked sailors

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  1. raw
  2. primitive
  3. vulgar
  4. crass
  5. clumsy
  6. natural
  7. rudimentary
  8. obscene
Adjective
  • The decision to set that tone staggering through all 10 minutes of the extended cut might scan as raw inspiration, placing Spacemen 3 on a narrow band from La Monte Young and Terry Riley to some brilliant dro)))ne future.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Phillip Gong Gong, my grandfather, teased her, chewing the gristly meat and semi-raw cabbage chunks.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of raw
Adjective
  • These primitive instincts are highly attuned to potential danger and are often triggered before our conscious mind registers that something isn’t right.
    — Georgia Casey, Allure, 9 Oct. 2026
  • When our skin senses heat, those signals travel to a primitive part of the brain that tells our body to cool down.
    — Will Stone, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • Continue reading … SOUR NOTE — Hayley Williams unleashes vulgar insult at DHS after agency defends ICE officers.
    — , FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • This has made some machine translations comically inaccurate, sometimes turning innocuous words into vulgar references in English.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • But the fashionable-at-the-time nakedness of the YBAs’ desire for money, most completely embodied by Hirst, quickly became crass.
    — Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Murdoch is thick-skinned and accustomed to being underestimated by the condescending Brits, who see him as a crass interloper.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of crass
Adjective
  • Some Latinas are nerds, and some Latinas are quirky, and some of them are goofy and some of them are clumsy.
    — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • One of the clumsiest parts of Klosterman’s book is his attempts at political punditry.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • Shooting stars become visible when particles of the ancient comet collide with our planet's atmosphere at 147,600 miles per hour (237,539 kilometers per hour), vaporizing in a spectacular display of natural fireworks.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • This part of South America often gets heavy rain during El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon in which warmer-than-usual waters in the Pacific Ocean scramble weather patterns around the world.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of natural
Adjective
  • For a while, Crystal Lake hews closely to the very rudimentary mythology introduced in Sean Cunningham’s original movie.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The concern is that a small, rudimentary drone like this one could be weaponized with explosives and do serious damage to a large concert, sporting event, or campaign rally.
    — Norah O'Donnell, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of rudimentary
Adjective
  • Another bemoaned the amount of money spent on Marsh’s NIL deal, using similar obscene language.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The disingenuous campaign ads, the obscene amount of money that is spent to air them and the promises that are rarely fulfilled are enough to make one cynical.
    — Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscene
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.

Browse Nearby Words

cruddy
crude
crudely
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Cite this Entry

“Crude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crude. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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