rugged
Americanadjective
-
having a roughly broken, rocky, hilly, or jagged surface.
rugged ground.
- Antonyms:
- smooth
-
(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.
- Synonyms:
- austere
- Antonyms:
- mild
-
full of hardship and trouble; severe; hard; trying.
a rugged life.
-
tempestuous; stormy.
rugged weather.
- Synonyms:
- turbulent
-
harsh to the ear.
rugged sounds.
- Synonyms:
- cacophonous, grating
-
rude, uncultivated, or unrefined.
- Synonyms:
- crude, unpolished
-
homely or plain.
rugged fare.
-
capable of enduring hardship, wear, etc.; strong and tough.
rugged floor covering; a rugged lumberjack.
- Antonyms:
- frail
adjective
-
having an uneven or jagged surface
-
rocky or steep
rugged scenery
-
(of the face) strong-featured or furrowed
-
rough, severe, or stern in character
-
without refinement or culture; rude
rugged manners
-
involving hardship; harsh
he leads a rugged life in the mountains
-
difficult or hard
a rugged test
-
(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
-
sturdy or strong; robust
Other Word Forms
- ruggedly adverb
- ruggedness noun
- unrugged adjective
Etymology
Origin of rugged
1300–50; Middle English < Scandinavian; compare Swedish rugga to roughen (of cloth); rug
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.
Video showed customs officers prying open a crate to find the rock, its surface grey and rugged.
From Barron's
The area’s rugged terrain means coffee has to be picked by hand, and the typical farm there is less than 5 acres.
He was checking cameras installed by his conservation group in the steep, rugged terrain to monitor how the border fence is affecting animals.
From Los Angeles Times
He tilted his rugged head and shifted his gaze out beyond them, looking past them, as if considering whether to share their danger or throw them to the sea.
From Literature
Instead of music, guests heard radio broadcasts and chatter, as the goal was to make Black Spire Outpost feel rugged and lived-in.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
