coarse

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adjective \ ˈkȯrs \

Definition of coarse

coarser; coarsest

1 :of ordinary or inferior quality or value :common

of what coarse metal ye are molded
—Shakespeare

2 a (1) :composed of relatively large parts or particles

coarse sand

(2) :loose or rough in texture

coarse cloth

b :adjusted or designed for heavy, fast, or less delicate work

a coarse saw with large teeth

c :not precise or detailed with respect to adjustment or discrimination

filled in the details of the rather coarse preliminary report

3 :crude or unrefined in taste, manners, or language

4 :harsh, raucous, or rough in tone

5 chiefly British :of or relating to coarse fish

coarse fishing

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coarsely

adverb

—

coarseness

noun

See coarse defined for English-language learners

See coarse defined for kids

Examples of coarse in a Sentence

He was a man of middle age with coarse, curly gray hair, a dark, pock-marked complexion and protruding, almost batrachian eyes. —Leila Hadley, Give Me the World, (1958) 1999
He had a heavy face and a shrivelled nose and thick, coarse, bunched up skin. —Paul Theroux, Granta, Summer 1994
She'd always been taught—and she'd felt it instinctively—that sun-braised cheeks, sallow skin and reddened hands were coarse and unsightly, the emblem of the foreigner and the day laborer. —T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road To Wellville, 1993
Around the throbbing machinery was a frame of coarse wire net. —Ursula K. Le Guin, Harper's, August 1990
The dog has a thick, coarse coat.
The fabric varies in texture from coarse to fine.

Recent Examples of coarse from the Web

Bonus: Those extra oils can help calm frizz and give coarse hair a smoother look.

— amber brenza, SELF, "How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?," 29 Aug. 2017
Trump may personify America’s descent into coarse discourse and amplify its spread.

— amy zegart, The Atlantic, "The Three Paradoxes Disrupting American Politics," 5 Aug. 2017
Trump might be kinder and gentler than his coarse exterior would indicate.

— callum borchers, Washington Post, "People magazine takes a hard turn on Trump with ‘secrets and lies’ cover," 19 July 2017
Toomes is a perfect threat to the newbie spider-kid, a jilted average joe that has turned to crime out of a sort of coarse pragmatism, a menacing antithesis to Peter's naiveté.

— joshua rivera, GQ, "The Genius of Spider-Man: Homecoming's Big Twist," 12 July 2017
Thursday's tweets focused attention on Trump's coarse brand of political discourse, and his ironclad principle that anyone who criticizes him, as Brzezinski did on her show on Thursday, can expect a gut punch in return.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "Delegitimizing his presidency, one tweet at a time," 30 June 2017
In a mortar or small chopper, grind together the garlic and chiles into a coarse paste. 2.

— nick kindelsperger, star-telegram.com, "‘Bangkok’ brings the flavors of the bustling city to life," 27 June 2017
The language shared by Redditors can sometimes be coarse.

— lara o’reilly, WSJ, "Reddit Looks to Lure Advertisers With Video and Redesign," 22 June 2017
The toothsome texture of the cake, somewhere between fluffy and coarse, made a lovely contrast with lightly sweetened whipped cream and mixed berries.

— cathy thomas, Orange County Register, "Turn the tables on Mom and bake her something on Mother’s Day," 22 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coarse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of coarse

Middle English cors, perhaps from course, noun — see ¹course

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First Known Use: 14th century

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coarse Synonyms

Synonyms

grained, grainy, granular, granulated

Antonyms

dusty, fine, floury, powdery, superfine, ultrafine

Related Words

unfiltered, unrefined; earthy, gravelly, gritty, sandy; pebbly, rocky, stony (also stoney); coarse-grained, cracked, kibbled, lumpy, mealy

Near Antonyms

buttery, smooth, velvety; filtered, levigated, refined; close-grained, comminuted, ground, micronized, milled, mulled, pestled, pulverized, reduced, triturated

Synonym Discussion of coarse

coarse, vulgar, gross, obscene, ribald mean offensive to good taste or morals. coarse implies roughness, rudeness, or crudeness of spirit, behavior, or language.

- found the coarse humor of coworkers offensive

vulgar often implies boorishness or ill-breeding.

- a loud vulgar belch

gross implies extreme coarseness and insensitiveness.

- gross eating habits

obscene applies to anything strongly repulsive to the sense of decency and propriety especially in sexual matters.

- obscene language not allowed on the air

ribald applies to what is amusingly or picturesquely vulgar or irreverent or mildly indecent.

- entertained the campers with ribald folk songs

COARSE Defined for English Language Learners

coarse

play

adjective

Definition of coarse for English Language Learners

: made up of large pieces : not fine
: having a rough quality
: rude or offensive

COARSE Defined for Kids

coarse

play

adjective \ ˈkȯrs \

Definition of coarse for Students

coarser; coarsest

1 :having a harsh or rough quality

coarse dry skin

a coarse fabric

2 :made up of large particles

coarse sand

3 :crude in taste, manners, or language

4 :of poor or ordinary quality

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coarsely

adverb

—

coarseness

noun

Medical Dictionary

coarse

play

adjective \ ˈkō(ə)rs, ˈkȯ(ə)rs \

medical Definition of coarse

1 :visible to the naked eye or by means of a compound microscope

coarse particles

2 of a tremor :of wide excursion

a coarse tremor of the extremities

3 :harsh, raucous, or rough in tone —used of some sounds heard in auscultation in pathological states of the chest

coarse rales

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See words that rhyme with coarse Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for coarse Spanish Central: Translation of coarse Nglish: Translation of coarse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of coarse for Arabic speakers

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Examples of coarse in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of coarse

coarse Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of coarse

COARSE Defined for English Language Learners

coarse

Definition of coarse for English Language Learners

COARSE Defined for Kids

coarse

Definition of coarse for Students

coarsely

coarseness

Medical Dictionary

coarse

medical Definition of coarse

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