rough-and-ready

adjective

ˌrə-fən-ˈre-dē How to pronounce rough-and-ready (audio)
Definition of rough-and-readynext
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed a rough-and-ready shack that the explorers threw together as winter approached

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rough-and-ready Black South African soccer developed its own clubs, its own superstars, and its own rough-and-ready style. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026 The brand showed off its novel approach to creating a modern version of a vintage Land Rover Defender replete with switch panels for off-road performance and accessories and a rough-and-ready chassis design. — Scotty Reiss, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025 Star chefs from Japan and abroad are shaking up the dining scene with inventive gastronomy, though delicious casual eats from rough-and-ready street stalls and mom-and-pop shops are still Osaka's calling card. — Melinda Joe, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Mar. 2025 But grit, rawness and dirty-realist poetry can be elusive elements to conjure, even in a production that cultivates those qualities with a rough-and-ready feel for the scrappy, sweaty storytelling of another era. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for rough-and-ready
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-and-ready
  1. clumsy
  2. rough
  3. rude
  4. rough-and-tumble
  5. primitive
  6. rudimentary
  7. flawed
  8. imperfect
Adjective
  • Yirenki’s challenge on Christos Tzolis is clumsy, but well short of a first yellow card, let alone a second.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Vocals are surprisingly good, despite the show being a bit awkward and clumsy at times.
    — Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • Other downsides to sulfates include leaving hair feeling dry, brittle, and rough, which Trisler says can be even more damaging if your hair is already compromised.
    — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Hsu’s argument for why the near-monochrome restaurant doesn’t go flat is that the palette itself runs on tension, with the statement-making veined marble behind the point-of-sale area set against rough plaster walls.
    — Alexis Benveniste, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of rough
Adjective
  • For instance, your colleagues may be very agreeable and kind to their boss but rude to their more junior colleagues, or the cafeteria waiter.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Totally ignoring the humanity of both worker and customer is rude, and yet both parties are interested in getting on with whatever the transaction is.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.
    — Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023
Definition of rough-and-tumble
Adjective
  • When the Followers began, healthcare on the Western frontier was primitive, unsanitary and riddled with con artists peddling fake cures.
    — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In an early study, researchers collected about five hours of primitive tennis movements from amateur players using a compact motion-capture setup.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • Using rudimentary 3-D animation tools, the film looks janky, with sharp edges and bad editing.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The panels were expensive and rudimentary by today’s standards.
    — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of rudimentary
Adjective
  • Hubble launched in 1990 with a flawed mirror that required spacewalking astronauts’ dramatic intervention.
    — Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Historically, retail rankings were flawed, often missing true leaders like A&P, which dominated for decades before Sears and Walmart.
    — Jason Goldberg, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of flawed
Adjective
  • For years, software security operated on an imperfect but workable equilibrium.
    — Aaron Mitchell, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • It’s been carried by a wider move toward grunge finishes, natural makeup, deliberately imperfect beauty and makeup for tired eyes that leans in rather than covering up.
    — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of imperfect

Browse Nearby Words

rough
rough-and-ready
rough-and-tumble
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Cite this Entry

“Rough-and-ready.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-and-ready. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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