1
as in disrespectful
showing a lack of manners or consideration for others
it's rude to call someone "ugly"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
a rude shelter built from unfinished logs by some forgotten pioneer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in primitive
belonging to or characteristic of an early level of skill or development
rude stone tools
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste
a comedian who uses a lot of rude language in his nightclub act
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in barbarian
not civilized
missionaries who believed that it was their duty to convert the rude peoples of the world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in ignorant
lacking in education or the knowledge gained from books
rude hillbillies they might have been, but they produced music with real poignancy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
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
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
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 poster, however, struggles to see how their courthouse wedding could be considered disrespectful.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
-
After all, bosses who are regularly disrespectful, or even indifferent to your well-being and success, also make ineffective managers, experts say.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Actually, Alma does suffer from ulcers, which cause her extraordinary stomach pain and vomiting at inconvenient moments, and cause viewers to wonder not if but when such clumsy symbolic traits will be trotted out in the future.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
9 Oct. 2025
-
There had to be an element of her that was sort of clumsy.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 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
-
Ashley Johnson and star/executive producer Travis Willingham tee up what's coming for their soft barbarian lady.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
-
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
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
Cite this Entry
“Rude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rude. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share