rugged

comparative more rugged · superlative most rugged

1. Broken into sharp or irregular points; uneven; not smooth; rough.

   BY and by, after a rugged climb, we halted on the summit of a hill which commanded a far-reaching view.

   1870–1871 (date written), Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “”, in Roughing It, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company [et al.], published 1872, →OCLC, page 465

2. Not neat or regular; irregular, uneven.

   Commercially produced yarn, such as rayon, produces a cloth with a smoother, shinier look than hand-spun cotton, but the uneven, rugged look of hand-spun cotton can be quite appealing.

   2011, Ronke Luke-Boone, African Fabrics: Sewing Contemporary Fashion with Ethic Flair

3. Rough with bristly hair; shaggy.

   His hair was light and rather thin; his face strong and rugged from exposure, and his eyes narrow and observant.

   1897, Kate Chopin, A Morning Walk

4. Strong, sturdy, well-built.

   Many women and men delude themselves into thinking that only the hardest and most rugged man is attractive and to many it may be the case.

   2010, Arthur Queen Jr., Young Man: Ageless Fatherly Wisdom to Hold

5. Rocky and bare of plantlife.

   Hidden within 30,000 acres of rugged private land, the ranch is cocooned by peaks and canyons in all directions.

   2013, Vicky Baker, The Guardian, Riding with the cowboys on a Mexico ranch

   2 more examples

   As the train wound along the river valleys through western Pennsylvania the scenery grew more rugged and the painted houses of Lancaster County gave way to dirty clapboard dwellings and shack homes clinging to the mountainside.

   1953 July, Allen Rowley, “First Impressions of American Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 492

   Much of the area can be seen only by hikers who travel without trails to the higher reaches of this rugged mountain range.

   1971, United States Forest Service, Search for solitude: our wilderness heritage

6. characteror peopleHarsh; austere; hard

   Synonyms: crabbed

7. Stormy; turbulent; tempestuous

   Synonyms: rude

8. style etc.Harsh; grating; unpleasant sounding or looking
9. appearance etc.Sour; surly; frowning; wrinkled

   "Ah!" sighed the unimaginative Granby, and his honest, rugged face grew clouded. Pepper puffed in silence for a moment or two; then spoke.

   1908, Rafael Sabatini, The Abduction

10. Violent; rude; boisterous
11. physique etc.Vigorous; robust; hardy

    "Her gaze rested for a moment on the muscular neck, heavy corded, almost bull-like, bronzed by the sun, spilling over with rugged health and strength..."

    1909, Jack London, Martin Eden

12. computingDesigned to reliably operate in harsh usage environments and conditions.

    Psion, which supplies a range of rugged hand held computers, has lost nearly 2% after announcing a plunge into the red.

    2011, Nick Fletcher, Psion drops 2% after supply chain issues push it into loss

1. not comparableHaving a rug or rugs.
2. not comparableCovered with a rug.

   Please put sharp objects on the rugged shelf.

1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of rug