SCABROUS Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'scabrous' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of scabrous are harsh , rough , rugged , and uneven . While all these words mean "not smooth or even," scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface. // a scabrous leaf

Q: Where would 'harsh' be a reasonable alternative to 'scabrous'?

The meanings of harsh and scabrous largely overlap; however, harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch. // a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

Q: When would 'rough' be a good substitute for 'scabrous'?

While in some cases nearly identical to scabrous , rough implies points, bristles, ridges, or projections on the surface. // a rough wooden board

Q: When could 'rugged' be used to replace 'scabrous'?

While the synonyms rugged and scabrous are close in meaning, rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel. // a rugged landscape

Q: When is it sensible to use 'uneven' instead of 'scabrous'?

The words uneven and scabrous can be used in similar contexts, but uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality. // an old house with uneven floors

scabrous

adjective

Definition of scabrous

as in troublesome

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How does the adjective scabrous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of scabrous are harsh, rough, rugged, and uneven. While all these words mean "not smooth or even," scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface.

a scabrous leaf

Where would harsh be a reasonable alternative to scabrous?

The meanings of harsh and scabrous largely overlap; however, harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch.

a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

When would rough be a good substitute for scabrous?

While in some cases nearly identical to scabrous, rough implies points, bristles, ridges, or projections on the surface.

a rough wooden board

When could rugged be used to replace scabrous?

While the synonyms rugged and scabrous are close in meaning, rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel.

a rugged landscape

When is it sensible to use uneven instead of scabrous?

The words uneven and scabrous can be used in similar contexts, but uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality.

an old house with uneven floors

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of scabrous Pope Francis often made scabrous criticisms of younger, more tradition-minded priests and faithful. — The Editors, National Review, 8 May 2025 Lamar mirrors Nas’s slow build to a scabrous eruption, followed by exhaustion. — Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024 Is this Scott redoing American Gangster as a grand Italian tragedy, or scabrous comedy about a family undone by their ineptitude and excess? — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024 Jacobs wrote the script with these three actors in mind, which was perhaps shocking news to each of them, who play scabrous women who locate the worst characteristics of each other and then blow them up into throwdown fights. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for scabrous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scabrous

Adjective

Miami’s subpar pass protection, inexperience at receiver and troublesome play calling have been contributing factors.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
When lighting a miniature proved troublesome, the crew employed motion-control rigs to capture multiple exposures, enabling the lighting to be adjusted later in compositing.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of troublesome

Adjective

There’s the recurring omission of pivotal moments — in the last two weeks alone, Mae’s death happens offscreen, as does everyone finding out about it — which is less vexing with tough scenes than joyous ones.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026
That apathetic approach, which starts off pretty funny, becomes increasingly vexing, especially when the film takes a turn that requires some actual fire from Johnson’s performance.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of vexing

Adjective

After the new law came into force in 2024, a large number of vexatious complaints were launched in protest, and gender critical and trans campaigners argued over which group most needed the law’s protection.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
On one side is challenger Holly Cook, who has filed for bankruptcy twice, been held in contempt of court on nine counts, been pursued by multiple collections agencies and once was labeled a vexatious litigant, court records showed.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 13 May 2026

Definition of vexatious

Adjective

That picture is a little worrisome, though, because the defense is bad and the offense lacks capable receiving weapons.

— Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
The cancer, adenocarcinoma, is a common one, and while worrisome if caught late, has a track record of high rates of survival with early intervention.

— Scott Detrow, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of worrisome

Adjective

In an era when high-performance vehicles often grow larger, heavier, and more complex with each successive generation, part of the Carrera T’s appeal lies in its restraint.

— Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
Advances robot Intelligence Neuron AI is a robot foundation model designed to combine visual perception, touch, sound, language, and memory to help robots perform complex tasks.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of complex

Adjective

Yet American students and scholars flocked in droves to theory, perceiving in its recondite abstractions a thrilling new way of understanding the world—even, some believed, of changing it.

— Emily Eakin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
This includes courses such as the notoriously recondite organic chemistry as well as biology, general chemistry, and physics.

— Richard Menger MD MPA, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025

Definition of recondite

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“Scabrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scabrous. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of scabrous

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