discourtesy

noun

dis·​cour·​te·​sy (ˌ)dis-ˈkər-tə-sē How to pronounce discourtesy (audio)
1
2
: a rude act

Examples of discourtesy in a Sentence

His tardiness was just another in a series of small discourtesies. the courtiers shuddered at the discourtesy shown to the king
Recent Examples on the Web That’s touch, and Payne’s always had it, this knack for crudeness and discourtesy, for pleasing whiffs of sweetness that can take the form of wit or revenge, pettiness or justice. Wesley Morris, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2023 On Twitter, Tyler Winklevoss complained that Gensler had shared the SEC’s legal complaint with the media before serving it on Gemini—a type of discourtesy frowned upon by serious lawyers, which is likely explained by the fact Gensler himself is not an attorney. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2023 In an act of blatant discourtesy, the 20-year-old reporter-in-training pulled out the mobile phone and answered it. Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Feb. 2023 The brouhaha, especially the recent arrest at the school board meeting, has left residents of all races, political loyalties and religious beliefs lamenting the disruption and discourtesy. Washington Post, 1 July 2021 McManus, in firing the officers, also cited acts of incompetency, discourtesy and lack of moral character. Express-News Staff Report, ExpressNews.com, 12 Aug. 2020 Casual discourtesy of this sort has been a staple of the European chattering classes since pre-Revolutionary days. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 4 July 2019 The black truncheon attached to their ears became hitched to its associated discourtesy. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2018 And the discourtesy involved in trying to override his management of the conversation is too much when dealing with the president of the United States. Bryan Marquard, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'discourtesy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of discourtesy was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near discourtesy

Cite this Entry

“Discourtesy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discourtesy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

discourtesy

noun
dis·​cour·​te·​sy dis-ˈkərt-ə-sē How to pronounce discourtesy (audio)
plural discourtesies
1
: rude behavior
2
: a rude act

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