coarse

adjective

ˈkȯrs 

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

coarsely adverb

coarseness noun

Synonyms of coarse

• grained
• sandy
• granular

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

Don’t fertilize fig trees, pomegranate, pineapple guava, tropical guava and loquat, Instead, mulch them with a 3-inch-thick layer of coarse wood mulch. —Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026

Instead, mix in coarse sand or a combination of sand and cactus soil. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026

The former provides definition, and the latter helps to smooth and hydrate—all are top concerns for those with thick, coarse hair, which tends to be prone to dryness and can be tougher to manage. —Eden Stuart, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2026

Ten minutes later the jaguar was only a quarter of a mile away, responding to the call with a loud series of grunts, very deep and coarse. —Delbert L. Chears, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing coarse

• coarse fish
• coarse-grained

Rhymes for coarse

• bourse
• course
• force
• gorse
• hoarse
• horse
• norse
• source
• concourse
• divorce
• endorse
• enforce

Kids Definition

coarse

adjective

ˈkō(ə)rs 

ˈkȯ(ə)rs

coarser; coarsest

1

: of ordinary or poor quality

2

: made up of large parts or particles

coarse sand

3

: being harsh or rough

coarse cloth

4

: not precise or detailed : roughly approximate

5

: crude in taste, manners, or language

coarsely adverb

coarsen

ˈkōrs-ᵊn, 

ˈkȯrs-

verb

coarseness noun

Medical Definition

coarse

adjective

ˈkō(ə)rs, ˈkȯ(ə)rs 

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