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as in crude
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining rude pelts that were sent to Europe to be fashioned into elegant hats and coats

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective rude differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rude are crude, raw, and rough. While all these words mean "lacking in social refinement," rude implies ignorance of or indifference to good form; it may suggest intentional discourtesy.

rude behavior

Where would crude be a reasonable alternative to rude?

The words crude and rude are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, crude may apply to thought or behavior limited to the gross, the obvious, or the primitive.

a crude joke

When would raw be a good substitute for rude?

In some situations, the words raw and rude are roughly equivalent. However, raw suggests being untested, inexperienced, or unfinished.

turning raw youths into polished performers

When is rough a more appropriate choice than rude?

The synonyms rough and rude are sometimes interchangeable, but rough is likely to stress lack of polish and gentleness.

rough manners

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 rude Getty Images Soccer fans’ looking to buy tickets for next year’s World Cup got a rude surprise when prices were announced. Richard McGahey, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025 That figure includes 20 percent who say behavior today is a lot ruder. Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025 Meanwhile, the Lions give a rude welcome back to Ben Johnson, while the 49ers run over the Saints. Vic Tafur, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025 This is amazingly rude, but still sayable. Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rude
Adjective
  • The interview escalated after host Branson Quirke made remarks that Riddle appeared to find disrespectful.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • It should also be noted that his remarks were in no way disrespectful to Kirk himself, to whose family the host had expressed condolences after his death last week.
    Jason Bailey, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Maggie is a snoop—and a clumsy one.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
  • But the character’s state of servitude is largely hidden in clumsy blocking.
    Frank Rizzo, Variety, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The open North Rim camping at Fire Point and Swamp Ridge, is primitive and requires a backcountry permit.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The Chinese navy already makes port calls in Myanmar, but these are brief stays in facilities too primitive to provide naval advantage.
    Dan Swift, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Each project presented at MIA is picked with a genuine desire for these works to come to the fore, not by crass commercial considerations.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Free speech covers the jokes, the satire, the parodies—even the dumb, crass, or offensive ones.
    Lizz Winstead, Time, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Bailey plays half-elf ranger Vex, O’Brien is her twin brother Vax, Willingham is the lovable barbarian Grog, Johnson is the holy gnome cleric Pike, Jaffe is the royal gunslinger Percy, Ray is magical half-elf druid Keyleth and Riegel is the raunchy gnome bard Scanlan.
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 24 July 2025
  • The economy will not thrive on backward, barbarian technologies and our babies will suffer from the burden of debt, bad air and blackouts.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • At the time, central Appalachia was widely depicted in the popular press as a backward, ignorant region whose mountainous terrain kept its people isolated, outside the flow of progress – a stereotype still common today.
    The Conversation, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025
  • So what will our ignorant commissioner do with the information?
    Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The El Segundo refinery, built in 1911, processes 276,000 barrels of crude oil daily, the company said on its website.
    Hanna Park, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The El Segundo oil refinery is capable of refining 290,000 barrels of crude oil per day, Chevron says on its website, and its primary products are gasoline, jet and diesel.
    Sam Meredith, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In 2014, he was found to have been discourteous and used force.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The main point is to avoid being discourteous of the people behind us by letting the door close in their respective faces.
    R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rude. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on rude

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