"diamond in the rough" meaning in English

See diamond in the rough in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: en-au-diamond in the rough.ogg Forms: diamonds in the rough [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun|diamonds in the rough|head=diamond in the rough}} diamond in the rough (plural diamonds in the rough)
  1. An uncut diamond. Translations (uncut diamond): raakatimantti (Finnish), csiszolatlan gyémánt (Hungarian), diamante grezzo [masculine] (Italian), 原石 (genseki) (Japanese), diamant brut [neuter] (Romanian), diamante en bruto [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-diamond_in_the_rough-en-noun-6Y1suTIW Disambiguation of 'uncut diamond': 97 3
  2. (figurative) A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance. Tags: figuratively Categories (topical): People Synonyms: rough diamond Translations (person with hidden qualities): 璞玉 (púyù) (Chinese Mandarin), nallekarhu (note: of male only) (Finnish), ungeschliffenes Juwel [neuter] (German), csiszolatlan gyémánt (Hungarian), 原石 (genseki) (Japanese), nieoszlifowany diament [masculine] (Polish), diamante en bruto [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-diamond_in_the_rough-en-noun-W1WiUIvb Disambiguation of People: 0 100 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 4 96 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 4 96 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 4 96 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 2 98 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 7 93 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 7 93 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 6 94 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 3 97 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 3 97 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 17 83 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 14 86 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 7 93 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 2 98 Disambiguation of 'person with hidden qualities': 0 100

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "diamonds in the rough",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "diamonds in the rough",
        "head": "diamond in the rough"
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      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1922, Arthur J. Rees, chapter XXVIII, in The Moon Rock:",
          "text": "They all wanted money, and they all wanted to get away from that God-forsaken hole. Diamonds they were after? Well, he could take them to a place at the other end of the world where there were enough diamonds in the rough to make them all rich for life.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Cindy Lasiter, Diamonds in the Rough, Xulon Press, →ISBN, page xi:",
          "text": "Often the inclusions can be cut out of a diamond in the rough. After seeing what shape and size best suits the rough diamond, the craftsman will begin to make his cuts.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An uncut diamond."
      ],
      "id": "en-diamond_in_the_rough-en-noun-6Y1suTIW",
      "links": [
        [
          "uncut",
          "uncut"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "uncut diamond",
          "word": "raakatimantti"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "uncut diamond",
          "word": "csiszolatlan gyémánt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "uncut diamond",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "diamante grezzo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "genseki",
          "sense": "uncut diamond",
          "word": "原石"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "uncut diamond",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "diamant brut"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "uncut diamond",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "diamante en bruto"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "4 96",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "4 96",
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          "_dis": "4 96",
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          "_dis": "7 93",
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        {
          "_dis": "7 93",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 94",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 97",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 97",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 83",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 86",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 93",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Romanian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 98",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 100",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
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            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The auto mechanic is a diamond in the rough, tough-talking, but honest, even generous.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1848, Anne Brontë, chapter XXV, in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall:",
          "text": "You must tell me, if you can, that Mr. Hattersley is better than he seems—that he is upright, honourable, and open-hearted—in fact, a perfect diamond in the rough.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance."
      ],
      "id": "en-diamond_in_the_rough-en-noun-W1WiUIvb",
      "links": [
        [
          "goodness",
          "goodness"
        ],
        [
          "positive",
          "positive"
        ],
        [
          "hidden",
          "hidden"
        ],
        [
          "harsh",
          "harsh"
        ],
        [
          "unremarkable",
          "unremarkable"
        ],
        [
          "surface",
          "surface"
        ],
        [
          "appearance",
          "appearance"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "rough diamond"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "púyù",
          "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
          "word": "璞玉"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "note": "of male only",
          "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
          "word": "nallekarhu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "ungeschliffenes Juwel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
          "word": "csiszolatlan gyémánt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "genseki",
          "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
          "word": "原石"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "nieoszlifowany diament"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "diamante en bruto"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "audio": "en-au-diamond in the rough.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/11/En-au-diamond_in_the_rough.ogg/En-au-diamond_in_the_rough.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/En-au-diamond_in_the_rough.ogg"
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  ],
  "word": "diamond in the rough"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
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    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "diamonds in the rough",
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  "head_templates": [
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
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        "English terms with quotations"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1922, Arthur J. Rees, chapter XXVIII, in The Moon Rock:",
          "text": "They all wanted money, and they all wanted to get away from that God-forsaken hole. Diamonds they were after? Well, he could take them to a place at the other end of the world where there were enough diamonds in the rough to make them all rich for life.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Cindy Lasiter, Diamonds in the Rough, Xulon Press, →ISBN, page xi:",
          "text": "Often the inclusions can be cut out of a diamond in the rough. After seeing what shape and size best suits the rough diamond, the craftsman will begin to make his cuts.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An uncut diamond."
      ],
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      "categories": [
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          "type": "example"
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        {
          "ref": "1848, Anne Brontë, chapter XXV, in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall:",
          "text": "You must tell me, if you can, that Mr. Hattersley is better than he seems—that he is upright, honourable, and open-hearted—in fact, a perfect diamond in the rough.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
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      ],
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        [
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance."
      ],
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        {
          "word": "rough diamond"
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      ],
      "tags": [
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "uncut diamond",
      "word": "raakatimantti"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "uncut diamond",
      "word": "csiszolatlan gyémánt"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "uncut diamond",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "diamante grezzo"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "genseki",
      "sense": "uncut diamond",
      "word": "原石"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "uncut diamond",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "diamant brut"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "uncut diamond",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "diamante en bruto"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "púyù",
      "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
      "word": "璞玉"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "note": "of male only",
      "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
      "word": "nallekarhu"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "ungeschliffenes Juwel"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
      "word": "csiszolatlan gyémánt"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "genseki",
      "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
      "word": "原石"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "nieoszlifowany diament"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "person with hidden qualities",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "diamante en bruto"
    }
  ],
  "word": "diamond in the rough"
}

Download raw JSONL data for diamond in the rough meaning in English (4.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-23 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-03-21 using wiktextract (fef8596 and 633533e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.