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

He’s spoiled, entitled, rude and disrespectful to young and old family members. —R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2024

The hot, salty air was beginning to thicken with the coming rain, and the customers were rude, tired, and sweating but between them, something was tender and changed. —Ruby Opalka, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2024

At the beginning, Luc was like a French colleague, but not so rude as many French [people]. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2024

Reality check: Though many retailers are taking steps to invest in entry-level workers, pay is low compared to other industries and quit rates are high, as associates grow weary of dealing with theft and rude customers, Bloomberg reports. —Alex Golden, Axios, 15 Aug. 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