rugged

[ruhg-id]

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adjective

having a roughly broken, rocky, hilly, or jagged surface: rugged ground.

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

roughly irregular, heavy, or hard in outline or form; craggy: Lincoln's rugged features.

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

full of hardship and trouble; severe; hard; trying: a rugged life.

tempestuous; stormy: rugged weather.

harsh to the ear: rugged sounds.

rude, uncultivated, or unrefined.

homely or plain: rugged fare.

capable of enduring hardship, wear, etc.; strong and tough: rugged floor covering; a rugged lumberjack.

Nearby words

Origin of rugged

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

SYNONYMS FOR rugged

1. uneven, irregular, craggy. 4. austere. 6. turbulent. 7. grating, cacophonous. 8. unpolished, crude.

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ANTONYMS FOR rugged

1. smooth. 4. mild. 10. frail.

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Related formsrug·ged·ly, adverbrug·ged·ness, nounun·rug·ged, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rugged

He called out the conformism hiding in the pose of rugged individuality.
Glenn Beck Is Now Selling Hipster Clothes. Really.|Ana Marie Cox|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Utah, USA Brigham Young was definitely onto something when he sought to build his Mormon “Zion” in the rugged hinterland of Utah.
Why Your Next Vacation Will Be in Turkmenistan|Brandon Presser|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But what both men had in common was a streak of rugged individualism, stubbornness, and personal vision.
The Fight to Ban ‘Birth of a Nation’|Jack Schwartz|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Marquez is rugged, takes a good punch, and is a pretty defensive fighter.
If Manny Pacquiao Loses to Timothy Bradley, This May Be the End|Allen Barra|April 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

To be sure, there are remnants of an Old West mentality of a rugged, tough-minded, if not slow to change attitude.
The Real Arizona Isn’t Anti-Gay|Ronnie Cho|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rugged mountains form the background of the valley to the east, down from which comes murmuring the fleet but shallow Teivi.
The Welsh and Their Literature|George Borrow
The rugged merchants laughed, for the venture had been a howling success.
Famous Privateersmen and Adventurers of the Sea|Charles H. L. Johnston
The rim of this opposite slope was high, rugged, iron-colored, with cracks and holes.
Tales of lonely trails|Zane Grey
Where this harder chalk exists the coast is rugged and irregular.
The Sea Shore|William S. Furneaux
At last they found themselves in a wild, rugged portion of the country, where Ian had never before been.
The Wee Scotch Piper|Madeline Brandeis

British Dictionary definitions for rugged

rugged

adjective

having an uneven or jagged surface

rocky or steeprugged scenery

(of the face) strong-featured or furrowed

rough, severe, or stern in character

without refinement or culture; ruderugged manners

involving hardship; harshhe leads a rugged life in the mountains

difficult or harda rugged test

(of equipment, machines, etc) designed to withstand rough treatment or use in rough conditionsa handheld rugged computer which can survive being submerged in water

mainly US and Canadian sturdy or strong; robust

Derived Formsruggedly, adverbruggedness, noun

Word Origin for rugged

C14: from Scandinavian; compare Swedish rugga to make rough

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for rugged

rugged

adj.

c.1300, "rough, shaggy, careworn" (originally of animals), from Old Norse rogg "shaggy tuft" (see rug). "The precise relationship to ragged is not quite clear, but the stem is no doubt ultimately the same" [OED]. Meaning "vigorous, strong, robust" is American English, by 1848.

We were challenged with a peace-time choice between the American system of rugged individualism and a European philosophy of diametrically opposed doctrines -- doctrines of paternalism and state socialism. [Herbert Hoover, speech in New York, Oct. 22, 1928]

Hoover said the phrase was not his own, and it is attested from 1897, though not in a patriotic context. Related: Ruggedly; ruggedness.

rugged

adjective

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Origin of rugged

Examples from the Web for rugged

rugged

adjective

Word Origin for rugged

rugged