churlish

[ chur-lish ]

adjective

1. like a churl; boorish; rude:

   churlish behavior.

   Synonyms: uncivil, ill-natured, loutish, vulgar, uncouth, coarse

   Antonyms: courteous

2. of a churl; peasantlike.
3. stingy; mean.
4. difficult to work or deal with, as soil.

churlish

/ ˈtʃɜːlɪʃ /

adjective

1. rude or surly
2. of or relating to peasants
3. miserly

Derived Forms

• ˈchurlishly, adverb
• ˈchurlishness, noun

Other Words From

• churlish·ly adverb
• churlish·ness noun
• un·churlish adjective
• un·churlish·ly adverb
• un·churlish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of churlish¹

Before 1000; Middle English cherlish, Old English ceorlisc. See churl, -ish ¹

Example Sentences

In a series of five-star reviews, The Independent called the show "the spectacle of a lifetime" and The Guardian said it would be "churlish" not to be swept up by a set full of "cartoonish good fun".

From BBC

It seems churlish to question their first-day 416, yet there is no doubt the hosts wasted an even bigger total thanks to some sloppy dismissals.

From BBC

As I previously wrote, while it might be churlish to suggest that the gift was devoid of genuine altruistic impulses, it would be naive to assume that altruism is the whole story.

From Los Angeles Times

“It seems churlish to complain about where we are right now,” said Wendy Edelberg, director of the Hamilton Project, an economic policy arm of the Brookings Institution.

From New York Times

But that was nonsense, and felt churlish.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• grumpy
• ornery
• rude
• sullen
• uncivilized