rude

¹

[ rood ]

adjective

, rud·er, rud·est.

1. discourteous or impolite, especially in a deliberate way:

   a rude reply.

   Synonyms: fresh, pert, saucy, impudent, impertinent, brusque, curt, unmannerly, uncivil

2. without culture, learning, or refinement:

   rude, illiterate peasants.

   Synonyms: uncultured, rough, vulgar, coarse, uncouth, uncivilized, unrefined

3. rough in manners or behavior; unmannerly; uncouth.
4. rough, harsh, or ungentle:

   rude hands.

5. roughly wrought, built, or formed; of a crude construction or kind:

   a rude cottage.

6. not properly or fully developed; raw; unevolved:

   a rude first stage of development.

7. harsh to the ear:

   rude sounds.

8. without artistic elegance; of a primitive simplicity:

   a rude design.

   Synonyms: artless, rustic

9. violent or tempestuous, as the waves.

   Synonyms: stormy, turbulent, tumultuous, fierce

10. robust, sturdy, or vigorous:

    rude strength.

11. approximate or tentative:

    a rude first calculation of costs.

Rude

²

[ ryd ]

noun

1. Fran·çois [f, r, ah, n, -, swa], 1784–1855, French sculptor.

rude

/ ruːd /

adjective

1. insulting or uncivil; discourteous; impolite

   he was rude about her hairstyle

2. lacking refinement; coarse or uncouth
3. vulgar or obscene

   a rude joke

4. unexpected and unpleasant

   a rude awakening to the facts of economic life

5. roughly or crudely made

   we made a rude shelter on the island

6. rough or harsh in sound, appearance, or behaviour
7. humble or lowly
8. prenominal robust or sturdy

   in rude health

9. prenominal approximate or imprecise

   a rude estimate

Derived Forms

• ˈrudely, adverb
• ˈrudeness, noun

Other Words From

• rudely adverb
• rudeness noun
• over·rude adjective
• over·rudely adverb
• over·rudeness noun
• un·rude adjective
• un·rudely adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of rude¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English rude, ruide, from Old French, from Latin rudis

Word History and Origins

Origin of rude¹

C14: via Old French from Latin rudis coarse, unformed

Synonym Study

See boorish. See raw.

Example Sentences

Sara Sharif begged her parents for forgiveness for “being rude” in a letter discovered after her death, a court has heard.

From BBC

“Get a load of me,” he says, “instead of being rude and crazy like usual, I’m doing quiet and serene. Which in many ways is a lot scarier.”

From Los Angeles Times

Mr. Trump’s frequent rude comments and his threats against people he dislikes did not seem to bother his supporters.

From NewsForKids.net

Fineman said that world’s richest man and Trump loyalist is “clearly watching the show” despite his barrage of “rude” criticism on his X platform.

From Los Angeles Times

"The guy was quite abrupt, quite pushy, quite rude."

From BBC

Related Words

• abusive
• blunt
• boorish
• coarse
• crude
• ignorant
• impolite
• insulting
• intrusive
• obscene
• surly
• vulgar