rugged
pronunciation
How to pronounce rugged in British English:
UK [ˈrʌɡɪd]
How to pronounce rugged in American English:
US [ˈrʌɡɪd]
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- Adjective:
- sturdy and strong in constitution or construction; enduring
- topographically very uneven
- rocky and steep
- very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution
Word Origin
- rugged (adj.)
- c. 1300, "rough, shaggy, careworn" (originally of animals), from Old Norse rogg "shaggy tuft" (see rug). "The precise relationship to ragged is not quite clear, but the stem is no doubt ultimately the same" [OED]. Meaning "vigorous, strong, robust" is American English, by 1848.We were challenged with a peace-time choice between the American system of rugged individualism and a European philosophy of diametrically opposed doctrines -- doctrines of paternalism and state socialism. [Herbert Hoover, speech in New York, Oct. 22, 1928] Hoover said the phrase was not his own, and it is attested from 1897, though not in a patriotic context. Related: Ruggedly; ruggedness.
Antonym
Example
- 1. Its rugged northern coastline is a favourite summer destination for britons .
- 2. This spectacular new envisat image shows the rugged coast of eastern greenland .
- 3. The use of juniper bushes represent the rugged terrain the soldiers met on their campaign .
- 4. In the rugby heartland of southwest france , the terrain is rugged and the weather fickle .
- 5. On many mornings a rainbow spans from a rugged hill to a distant point in the pacific .