rude

¹

[rood]

adjective

ruder, rudest 

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: rough, vulgar, coarse, uncouth, uncivilized, uncultured, 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. François 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

Other Word Forms

• rudely adverb
• rudeness noun
• overrude adjective
• overrudely adverb
• overrudeness noun
• unrude adjective
• unrudely 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

“I decided to write it out because it seems like a rude thing to say,” she says, and then Shires begins reading from her notes.

From Los Angeles Times

Ethnocentric, rude to others while traveling abroad in their own countries, ignorant of the world, self-absorbed, arrogant, rude — these are the very characteristics of America’s president.

From Salon

Corinthians 12: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.”

From Los Angeles Times

But a rude shock awaited him in April when police arrested him, saying his passport was invalid.

From BBC

Bird was immortalised by a statue in Barnsley in 2009, albeit the statue had to be lifted above ground level four years later because his raised umpiring finger would regularly be adorned with rude objects.

From BBC

Related Words

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