crude

[krood]

adjective

cruder, crudest 

1. in a raw or unprepared state; unrefined or natural.

   crude sugar.

   Synonyms: coarse, unfinished
   Antonyms: refined

2. lacking in intellectual subtlety, perceptivity, etc.; rudimentary; undeveloped.

3. lacking finish, polish, or completeness.

   a crude summary.

4. lacking culture, refinement, tact, etc..

   crude behavior.

   Synonyms: clumsy, coarse, rude, rough, uncouth
   Antonyms: refined

5. undisguised; blunt.

   a crude answer.

6. Obsolete.,  unripe; not mature.

noun

1. crude oil.

crude

/ kruːd /

adjective

1. lacking taste, tact, or refinement; vulgar

   a crude joke

2. in a natural or unrefined state

3. lacking care, knowledge, or skill

   a crude sketch

4. (prenominal) stark; blunt

   the crude facts

5. (of statistical data) unclassified or unanalysed

6. archaic,  unripe

noun

1. short for crude oil

Other Word Forms

• crudity noun
• crudely adverb
• crudeness noun
• uncrude adjective
• uncrudeness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of crude¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin crūdus “uncooked, raw, bleeding, rough,” akin to cruor “blood from a wound”; raw

Word History and Origins

Origin of crude¹

C14: from Latin crūdus bloody, raw; related to Latin cruor blood

Synonym Study

See raw.

Example Sentences

Too many people conclude that being a paying customer liberates them to be crude and lob the F-bomb like popcorn kernels.

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Occidental has since sold assets to fortify its balance sheet but again found itself with a higher debt burden than its peers when crude prices dropped earlier this year.

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Saudi Arabia was one of America’s top crude suppliers before the shale boom eroded U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

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Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate have both retreated by more than 13% this year thanks to the cartel’s production increase and concerns over a looming global oil supply glut.

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Since 2022, Russian crude has made up about a third of what has been imported by the refinery, according to Kpler.

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Related Words

• amateurish 
• coarse 
• harsh 
• homemade 
• makeshift 
• primitive 
• raw 
• rude 
• rudimentary 
• simple 
• unprocessed