Meaning & use
diamond in the rough
A person or thing with hidden potential or great value that is not yet fully developed or polished.
See it in a sentence
The scout spotted a diamond in the rough on a small-town basketball team.
The old house was a diamond in the rough that needed serious renovation.
A note on using this word
The phrase highlights raw promise, similar to an uncut diamond that becomes valuable only after skilled work.
Words with a similar meaning
hidden gemuntapped talent
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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