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

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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 property collaborated with Nobu and the food is clean and delicious—unsurprisingly, lots of raw fish and produce like spicy microgreens and August-sweet tomatoes grown at Sensei’s hydroponic farm down the road.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The store features oak wooden floors, mineral plaster walls, raw travertine shelves, linen accents and furniture by Axel Einar Hjorth, George Nakashima and Lina Bo Bardi.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of raw
Adjective
  • American consumers deserved bargains on digital watches, pocket calculators, and primitive computers.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Working with the era's primitive technology, Margaret thought through the various mishaps that could occur on a spaceflight and designed the software to handle every contingency.
    — Dean Robbins, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • In her smartly vulgar The Seasons (1957), which extends nearly 17 feet, Krasner returns to the subject of rebirth one year after Pollock’s death, depicting abundant forms resembling genitalia.
    — John Yau, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • While Musgraves' comments received both praise and backlash, one country music legend took exception to the vulgar remarks.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 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
  • Here, his clumsy, winky, affected, and self-undercutting direction can’t even work the charming Jenna Ortega to a great performance, as her Klara is flattened into a bundle of manic pixie mannerisms both physical and verbal.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • This would've already been an abnormal natural hot spell on top of a huge amount of climate change, Barnes said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • After 100,000 years, radiation levels will decay back to those of natural uranium ore.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of natural
Adjective
  • My Arabic, French, and Berber language skills are also rudimentary.
    — Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of rudimentary
Adjective
  • In Russia, soldiers die at the front by the hundreds of thousands while politically compliant billionaires accumulate obscene fortunes.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • At the next timeout, an announcement was made asking fans to refrain from obscene chants.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 21 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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