Meaning & use
rugged man
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Meanings
nouncountable
a man with a strong, rough, and attractive appearance, often with weathered features
Grammar: Countable phrase; you can say 'a rugged man' or 'the rugged man'.
Patterns
- a rugged man
- look like a rugged man
- a rugged man with a beard
He looked like a rugged man who spent a lot of time outdoors.
The actor often plays the rugged man in adventure films.
She prefers a rugged man to a smooth city type.
nouncountable
a man who is tough, independent, and able to endure difficult conditions
Grammar: Countable phrase; often used to describe someone's character rather than looks.
Patterns
- a rugged man
- a rugged man who can handle anything
- be a rugged man
He is a rugged man who can fix anything and never complains.
The novel's hero is a rugged man of few words.
They admired the rugged man for his strength and independence.
Word forms
| plural | rugged men |
|---|
Common combinations
- rugged good looks
- His rugged good looks made him popular with fans.
- rugged features
- The old sailor had rugged features and a deep tan.
- rugged individual
- He saw himself as a rugged individual who needed no help.
- rugged outdoorsman
- The rugged outdoorsman spent weeks alone in the mountains.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rough-hewn
- Describes a rough but strong appearance; it is more literary and less common than 'rugged'.
- tough
- Focuses on strength and the ability to endure; 'rugged' also suggests an attractive rough appearance.
- hardy
- Means able to survive difficult conditions; it does not usually describe attractiveness.
Opposites
Word family
- rugged adjective
- Having a rough, strong, and uneven appearance.
- ruggedly adverb
- In a rugged way, as in 'ruggedly handsome'.
- ruggedness noun
- The quality of being rugged.
Commonly confused: rugged man or ragged?
rugged man vs ragged
Ragged means torn or worn out, especially of clothes; rugged means strong and rough-looking.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'rugged man' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly describes a man with a tough, outdoor character. Option 1 is wrong because you cannot 'wear' a man. Option 2 contradicts the meaning of 'rugged', and option 3 uses 'rugged' as a verb, which is not correct.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rugged man”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.