1
as in peasant
an awkward or simple person especially from a small town or the country
as far as he was concerned, anyone from outside the city was a backwater churl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in miser
a mean grasping person who is usually stingy with money
don't bother asking for donations at that house—the churl who lives there believes that charity begins and ends at home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
a churl who gets thrown out of parties with remarkable regularity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of churl
But the cartoonish executive in Episode 1 will require a Grinch-like turnaround to become anything but a clownish churl.
—
Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2022
The churl’s view.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 July 2021
Only a churl would lament the existence of these testaments to the out-of-nowhere potential of a great pop hit.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2021
Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2022
The churl’s view.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 July 2021
Only a churl would lament the existence of these testaments to the out-of-nowhere potential of a great pop hit.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churl
Noun
-
Between them sat a peasant with matted hair and a padded coat over his shoulders.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The split widens when a labor strike becomes an armed revolt, with Jacir gamely tracking the hardening or shifting loyalties of both her peasant and well-to-do characters.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The more frugal sides are decried as misers or praised for their market savvy, no matter the surrounding factors.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Rather than just a simple miser, this movie portrays Scrooge as more of a ruthless businessman who believes he’s justified in his actions, making the character more relatable and redemptive.—
Janey Tracey,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Which is to say, this isn’t the story of a greedy, materialistic man who suffers a crisis of conscience while trying to pry a priceless treasure away from an uneducated hick who doesn’t know any better.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Ricky develops romantic feelings for Chad even though Russ plays him as a soft-spoken, possibly dim rural hick who may well be a literal man-child.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Dishes like jerk chicken and rice and beans cooked in coconut milk reflect the region’s deep Jamaican and British colonial influences that are distinctive from other parts of Costa Rica.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Highlights include crab cakes, Napoleon, jerk chicken and waffles, lobster rolls, Florida Croque Madame, oxtail pasta, coquito French toast, tiramisu and more.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Three years have passed since the stadium-sized clown show of the duo’s last record, 10,000 gecs, and Brady’s been feverishly cooking up unlikely collaborations and solo material.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Christopher Kosakowski, United States, 2025 A circus clown celebrating his birthday alone receives a mysterious gift box harboring an antique zoetrope that spins his world into mayhem.—
William Earl,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
One was about Snow Dog, his dog that accompanied him to class.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
31 Mar. 2026
-
An obituary for Spoon, an electrical lineman in Westfield, New York, noted his devotion to his wife, his dog, and exercise.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Simply put, the small-town bumpkins from North Florida who support this idea should be made to pay for it.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Clifton loved motorcycles and, as Hawkins said, was a country bumpkin who loved nature.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Part of his way of taking it yokel — besides bringing in Foo Fighter Rami Jaffee on accordion and Willie Aron blowing harmonica — was to add a previously unheard yodel to the chorus.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 Oct. 2025
-
It was adapted into a huge hit movie starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray, but the breakout characters were local yokels Ma and Pa Kettle, who went on to star in eight spinoff movies.—
Brian Boone,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Churl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churl. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
