rude

adjective

ˈrüd 

ruder; rudest

1

a

: being in a rough or unfinished state : crude

b

: natural, raw

rude cotton

c

: primitive, undeveloped

peasants use rude wooden plows

—Jack Raymond

d

: simple, elemental

2

: lacking refinement or delicacy:

a

: ignorant, unlearned

b

: inelegant, uncouth

c

: offensive in manner or action : discourteous

d

: uncivilized, savage

e

: coarse, vulgar

3

: marked by or suggestive of lack of training or skill : inexperienced

rude workmanship

4

: robust, sturdy

in rude health

5

: occurring abruptly and disconcertingly

a rude awakening

rudely adverb

Synonyms

• artless
• clumsy
• crude
• jerry-built
• jerry-rigged
• jury-rigged
• rough
• rough-and-ready
• rough-and-tumble
• rough-hewn
• unrefined

Choose the Right Synonym for rude

rude, rough, crude, raw mean lacking in social refinement.

rude implies ignorance of or indifference to good form; it may suggest intentional discourtesy.

rude behavior

rough is likely to stress lack of polish and gentleness.

rough manners

crude may apply to thought or behavior limited to the gross, the obvious, or the primitive.

a crude joke

raw suggests being untested, inexperienced, or unfinished.

turning raw youths into polished performers

Examples of rude in a Sentence

I was shocked by her rude behavior.

I can't believe that he was so rude to me.

I heard someone make a rude noise.

Recent Examples on the Web

Apparently, my daughter didn’t finish all of the food on her plate, and the mom felt that was incredibly rude and a sign of poor manners. —Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024

Those who participated in the creative exercises felt more social closeness with their coworkers, and were less likely to engage in rude behavior. —Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

The rude new businessman—acting a lot like the characters who strutted around the ring, garnering the rabid love of the crowd—upset a genteel arrangement and won big. —Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024

Hiring managers see rude language or behavior as a red flag in potential hires. —Eva Chan, Harvard Business Review, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin rudis; probably akin to Latin rudus rubble

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing rude

• in for a rude shock
• in rude health
• rude awakening
• rude shock

Kids Definition

rude

adjective

ˈrüd 

ruder; rudest

1

: impolite

2

: not refined or cultured

3

: being sudden and forceful

a rude awakening

4

: being in a rough or unfinished state : roughly made

rudely adverb

rudeness noun