crude

[ krood ]

adjective

, crud·er, crud·est.

1. in a raw or unprepared state; unrefined or natural:

   crude sugar.

   Synonyms: coarse, unfinished

   Antonyms: refined

2. lacking in intellectual subtlety, perceptivity, etc.; rudimentary; undeveloped.
3. lacking finish, polish, or completeness:

   a crude summary.

4. lacking culture, refinement, tact, etc.:

   crude behavior.

   Synonyms: clumsy, coarse, rude, rough, uncouth

   Antonyms: refined

5. undisguised; blunt:

   a crude answer.

6. Obsolete. unripe; not mature.

noun

1. crude oil.

crude

/ kruːd /

adjective

1. lacking taste, tact, or refinement; vulgar

   a crude joke

2. in a natural or unrefined state
3. lacking care, knowledge, or skill

   a crude sketch

4. prenominal stark; blunt

   the crude facts

5. (of statistical data) unclassified or unanalysed
6. archaic.
   unripe

noun

1. short for crude oil

Derived Forms

• ˈcrudity, noun
• ˈcrudely, adverb

Other Words From

• crude·ly adverb
• crude·ness noun
• un·crude· adjective
• un·crude·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of crude¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin crūdus “uncooked, raw, bleeding, rough,” akin to cruor “blood from a wound”; raw

Word History and Origins

Origin of crude¹

C14: from Latin crūdus bloody, raw; related to Latin cruor blood

Synonym Study

See raw.

Example Sentences

"The cost of raw materials for businesses continued to fall, once again driven by lower crude oil prices," he added.

From BBC

The stage for his artistic blossoming was set in 1482, when he left the rich mercantile city of Florence for the cruder, more bumptious northern city of Milan.

From Los Angeles Times

The post-election reaction from several factions of the left shows that MAGA’s crude and cruel comedy is changing our larger political culture.

From Salon

So Africa’s largest oil producer has been exporting its crude which is then refined abroad, much to the delight of some well-connected traders.

From BBC

Mike Tyson spoke just a few words, Jake Paul made crude references and Briton Tony Bellew was escorted out of the arena by security at a baffling news conference in Texas.

From BBC

Related Words

• amateurish
• coarse
• harsh
• homemade
• makeshift
• primitive
• raw
• rude
• rudimentary
• simple
• unprocessed