rugged

[ruhg-id]

adjective

1. having a roughly broken, rocky, hilly, or jagged surface.

   rugged ground.

   Synonyms: craggy, irregular, uneven
   Antonyms: smooth

2. (of a face) wrinkled or furrowed, as by experience or the endurance of hardship.

3. roughly irregular, heavy, or hard in outline or form; craggy.

   Lincoln's rugged features.

4. rough, harsh, or stern, as persons or nature.

   Synonyms: austere
   Antonyms: mild

5. full of hardship and trouble; severe; hard; trying.

   a rugged life.

6. tempestuous; stormy.

   rugged weather.

   Synonyms: turbulent

7. harsh to the ear.

   rugged sounds.

   Synonyms: cacophonous, grating

8. rude, uncultivated, or unrefined.

   Synonyms: crude, unpolished

9. homely or plain.

   rugged fare.

10. capable of enduring hardship, wear, etc.; strong and tough.

    rugged floor covering; a rugged lumberjack.

    Antonyms: frail

rugged

/ ˈrʌɡɪd /

adjective

1. having an uneven or jagged surface

2. rocky or steep

   rugged scenery

3. (of the face) strong-featured or furrowed

4. rough, severe, or stern in character

5. without refinement or culture; rude

   rugged manners

6. involving hardship; harsh

   he leads a rugged life in the mountains

7. difficult or hard

   a rugged test

8. (of equipment, machines, etc) designed to withstand rough treatment or use in rough conditions

   a handheld rugged computer which can survive being submerged in water

9. sturdy or strong; robust

Other Word Forms

• ruggedly adverb
• ruggedness noun
• unrugged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rugged¹

1300–50; Middle English < Scandinavian; compare Swedish rugga to roughen (of cloth); rug

Word History and Origins

Origin of rugged¹

C14: from Scandinavian; compare Swedish rugga to make rough

Example Sentences

In 18 key locations across the country—from rugged mountains to rolling farmlands to the suburbs—conservation groups are experimenting to determine what works best in different environments.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Wordless interludes find Jem and Ray dancing to music or sparring as boxers, their simmering feud reduced to its core elements of rugged masculinity and sibling rivalry.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He said he had heard of a community of chimpanzees on the rugged eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika where an intrepid researcher might make valuable discoveries.

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In the Sierra Nevada, the snow that blankets the rugged landscape each winter melts and gushes in meadows, streams and rivers, nourishing alpine ecosystems and filling reservoirs.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Once a backdrop for countless western films, the rugged Eastern Sierra landscape is now more likely to draw rock climbers and hikers than real or silver-screen cowboys.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• craggy 
• hilly 
• jagged 
• mountainous 
• rocky 
• rough