boorish

adjective

ˈbu̇r-ish How to pronounce boorish (audio)
Definition of boorishnext
as in loutish
having or showing crudely insensitive or impolite manners boorish behavior, such as yelling for service in restaurants

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective boorish differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of boorish are churlish, clownish, and loutish. While all these words mean "uncouth in manners or appearance," boorish implies rudeness of manner due to insensitiveness to others' feelings and unwillingness to be agreeable.

a drunk's boorish behavior

When might churlish be a better fit than boorish?

While the synonyms churlish and boorish are close in meaning, churlish suggests surliness, unresponsiveness, and ungraciousness.

churlish remarks

When is it sensible to use clownish instead of boorish?

In some situations, the words clownish and boorish are roughly equivalent. However, clownish suggests ill-bred awkwardness, ignorance or stupidity, ungainliness, and often a propensity for absurd antics.

an adolescent's clownish conduct

When could loutish be used to replace boorish?

The words loutish and boorish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, loutish implies bodily awkwardness together with stupidity.

a loutish oaf

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 boorish The doc goes on to note that, along with boorish audiences, record labels were also wary of Culture Club, even though their aesthetic was very much in the early Eighties new wave and pop mold. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2026 In New York, an inspiring young leftist competed against a boorish, but experienced, former governor to replace a corrupt mayor. — Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026 Trump’s boorish behavior gives his tone-deaf followers license to behave the same way. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 26 May 2026 There is precedent for TV personalities having to answer for boorish comments made on social media and on television. — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for boorish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boorish
  1. loutish
  2. uncouth
  3. classless
  4. churlish
  5. clownish
  6. stupid
  7. vulgar
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, the palace has been besieged by loutish suitors, led by the scheming Antinous (Robert Pattinson), all of them vying for the queen’s hand in remarriage and mooching off the absent king’s food and wine.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • And Trump’s domineering, loutish approach to women spoke to its adherents in a way that few, if any, of his rivals could match.
    — Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Definition of loutish
Adjective
  • An uncouth mix of stress and chlorine exposure recently left my skin simultaneously drier and more breakout-prone than it's been in quite a long time, and my usual routine of a quarter-size drop of skin tint just wasn’t cutting it anymore.
    — Sarah Hoffmann, Allure, 1 July 2026
  • And any expression otherwise is so taboo or deemed uncouth, and we aren’t allowed to talk about it in our art and media.
    — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 14 May 2026
Definition of uncouth
Adjective
  • The harmful framing of women athletes as vulnerable and Black women athletes as overly aggressive and classless has been well-established across studies.
    — Lindsey Darvin, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The Avs did right by MacFarland in granting him permission to interview, unlike the petty and classless Golden Knights, who continue to hold former coach Bruce Cassidy hostage.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
Definition of classless
Adjective
  • But the tournament will also be remembered for a classless and churlish Argentina, which forever stained itself with a thuggish performance in the game and an ungracious one afterward.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • If Vance now recognizes his comments as churlish, lacking in charity, and utterly unlikely to persuade voters, much less witness to the sublime truths of the Christian religion, good for him.
    — Matthew Walther, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
Definition of churlish
Adjective
  • Martin showed that even a clownish gentleman with a pure heart could woo someone like Tisha Campbell’s Gina.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
  • The Black characters that appeared on-screen closely resembled the clownish stereotypes popularized by the minstrels.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of clownish
Adjective
  • There are plenty of videos from Yellowstone National Park involving tourists doing breathtakingly stupid things around wild animals.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2026
  • Even when Romanzy goes off on how stupid and ugly Caleb is — and gossips that his parents abandoned him because something must be wrong with him — Mary goes along with it.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
Definition of stupid
Adjective
  • Lonnie is loud, obnoxious, and vulgar in ways that rankle traditional golfers.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
  • Suki, a vocal Black woman with an at times vulgar persona, whereas Althoff, a white woman, gained a reputation as an awkward, seemingly timid interviewer on her The Really Good Podcast.
    — Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of vulgar

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Cite this Entry

“Boorish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boorish. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on boorish

Nglish: Translation of boorish for Spanish Speakers

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