UNREFINED Synonyms: 144 Similar and Opposite Words

unrefined

adjective

ˌən-ri-ˈfīnd

Definition of unrefined

as in crude

being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining unrefined sugar

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in clumsy

hastily or roughly constructed an unrefined mountaineer's hut

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in vulgar

lacking in refinement or good taste guilty of such unrefined behavior as eating with their mouths open

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 unrefined Nutritionists generally note that the amount of trace minerals consumed in a pinch of any salt is small, so unrefined salts should not be viewed as a substitute for a mineral-rich diet. — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026 Such tools helped the New York Yankees make stars out of two unrefined college players, right-hander Cam Schlittler, a seventh-rounder out of Northeastern, and first baseman Ben Rice, a 12th-rounder out of Dartmouth. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 24 June 2026 Lucas Blalock likewise finds tragicomic potential in photography itself, inverting Photoshop as a mere tool of postproduction to foreground it as generative and creative, leaving visible traces of labor in ugly edits and unrefined refinements. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026 The unrefined nature keeps some ideas from feeling fleshed out, but Veeze’s personality and precise execution smooth over the rough edges. — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unrefined

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrefined

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

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

Already postponed 24 hours, the invasion proceeded in the face of rough seas, strong winds, and low visibility in order to seize a small window in time of enormous consequence.

— Marc E. Andersen, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
Japanese flight controllers want to avoid powdery soil and rough terrain when the mothership, a four-legged stationary lander, descends to the surface to gather samples in late 2028 or 2029.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of rough

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

Were my siblings rude to ignore my plan and take them for themselves?

— Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
An alligator with a sense of humor knocked on a North Carolina woman’s front door in the middle of the night, and the rascal got a rather rude response.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of rude

Adjective

Biting lines such as these come frequently from Diplo, who has little in the way of a filter and a coarse sense of humor, especially on social media.

— Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
In a mortar and pestle, crush the coriander seeds and peppercorns until cracked but still coarse.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of coarse

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

One young fashion photographer who made a name for himself at indie mags like i-D with his unpolished images of a teenage Kate Moss, was Juergen Teller.

— Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
But in an age where AI-assisted writing is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, the distinctly unpolished text has its own charm.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of unpolished

Browse Nearby Words

unredeemed

unrefined

unreflective

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“Unrefined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrefined. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unrefined

adjective

Example Sentences

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