Meaning of rugged in English

1. Pronunciation

   /ˈrəɡəd/

   US accent

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   UK accent

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1. Classifying Adjective

   rugged

   Definitions

   1. topographically very uneven

   Examples

   • « broken terrain »
   • « rugged ground »

   Synonyms

   • rough
   • unsmooth
2. 2. rocky and steep

   Synonyms

   • cliffy
   • clifflike
3. 3. very difficult

   Examples

   • « severely testing stamina or resolution »
   • « a rugged competitive examination »
   • « the rugged conditions of frontier life »
   • « the competition was tough »
   • « it's a tough life »
   • « it was a tough job »

   Synonyms

   • difficult
   • hard

4. Qualitative Adjective

   rugged

   Etymology

   Middle English (in the sense ‘shaggy’, also (of a horse) ‘rough-coated’): probably of Scandinavian origin; compare with Swedish rugga‘roughen’, also with rug

   Definitions

   1. sturdy and strong in constitution or construction

   Examples

   • « enduring »
   • « a rugged trapper who spent months in the winderness »
   • « those that survive are stalwart rugged men »
   • « with a house full of boys you have to have rugged furniture »

   Synonyms

   • hardy
   • knockabout
   • sturdy
   • tough
   • robust

   Antonyms

   • delicate

See also

• robust
• strong
• tough