crude
Americanadjective
-
in a raw or unprepared state; unrefined or natural.
crude sugar.
- Synonyms:
- coarse, unfinished
- Antonyms:
- refined
-
lacking in intellectual subtlety, perceptivity, etc.; rudimentary; undeveloped.
-
lacking finish, polish, or completeness.
a crude summary.
-
lacking culture, refinement, tact, etc..
crude behavior.
- Antonyms:
- refined
-
undisguised; blunt.
a crude answer.
-
Obsolete. unripe; not mature.
noun
adjective
-
lacking taste, tact, or refinement; vulgar
a crude joke
-
in a natural or unrefined state
-
lacking care, knowledge, or skill
a crude sketch
-
(prenominal) stark; blunt
the crude facts
-
(of statistical data) unclassified or unanalysed
-
archaic unripe
noun
Related Words
See raw.
Other Word Forms
- crudely adverb
- crudeness noun
- crudity noun
- uncrude adjective
- uncrudeness noun
Etymology
Origin of crude
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin crūdus “uncooked, raw, bleeding, rough,” akin to cruor “blood from a wound”; raw
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As an example, a $2 million fee on a fully loaded, very large crude carrier would add only $1 per barrel of oil shipped, or about 1% of the cost.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
But the Goldman team added that they see greater upside risks to their targets if there are longer disruptions and persistent crude production losses in the Persian Gulf region.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
The gap between the price of jet fuel and the price of crude oil, known as the “crack spread,” was Delta’s fastest-growing cost at the time.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Brent crude fell 13% to $94.75 a barrel.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
Painted on the walls were crude pictures of black cattle marching downward.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
