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.
Last week, a Russian-owned tanker carrying an estimated 730,000 barrels of crude oil became the first crude oil shipment to dock in one of Cuba's ports since early January.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
The island is the location of Iran’s main crude export terminal, handling 85% to 95% of the country’s oil exports.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Here is a possible timeline for the complicated process of restoring the full international flow of crude oil and liquefied natural gas, as explained by Myra P. Saefong in the Commodities Corner column.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
“Prices have climbed since the outbreak of the war, but at a much slower pace than overall crude oil.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
She returned to the doorway holding a crude, narrow box made of splintered wood, wire, and long, jutting nails.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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.
