rude

adjective \ ˈrüd \

Definition of rude

ruder; rudest

1 a :being in a rough or unfinished state :crude

b :natural, raw

rude cotton

c :primitive, undeveloped

peasants use rude wooden plows
—Jack Raymond

d :simple, elemental

2 :lacking refinement or delicacy:

a :ignorant, unlearned

b :inelegant, uncouth

c :offensive in manner or action :discourteous

d :uncivilized, savage

e :coarse, vulgar

3 :marked by or suggestive of lack of training or skill :inexperienced

rude workmanship

4 :robust, sturdy

in rude health

5 :occurring abruptly and disconcertingly

a rude awakening

—

rudely

adverb

See rude defined for English-language learners

See rude defined for kids

Examples of rude in a Sentence

I was shocked by her rude behavior.
I can't believe that he was so rude to me.
I heard someone make a rude noise.

Recent Examples of rude from the Web

While there have been some rude comments about Orji's choice, many people online have supported Orji.

— lily herman, Allure, "People Are Shaming Insecure Star Yvonne Orji for Waiting to Have Sex Until Marriage," 28 Aug. 2017
Even Wilson himself was in for a rude awakening: While vacationing in Europe in early June, the VC woke up to the same telltale emails, signaling that an intruder was trying to get inside his Coinbase account.

— erin griffith, Fortune, "Term Sheet — Tuesday, August 22," 22 Aug. 2017
Dear Amy: Why do people have to be so rude to old people?

— amy dickinson, Detroit Free Press, "Hikers encounter trail of rudeness," 15 July 2017
Some of the exchanges occurring in our midst are beyond rude and insensitive.

— philip chard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Pause a moment before rapidly judging other people," 8 July 2017
Zendaya plays Michelle, a brooding genius with a penchant for math, protesting, and rude drawings.

— vanityfair.com, "Spider-Man: Homecoming," 7 July 2017
But constituents interrupted him repeatedly, prompting him to chastise them for being rude.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Trump: Move to repeal Obamacare if no deal on replacement," 1 July 2017
Kevin Shackelford got a rude welcome to the majors.

— zach buchanan, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati Reds recap: Another short start for Homer Bailey in loss to Milwaukee Brewers," 29 June 2017
Someone who is rude, conceited, lacks hygiene and is unwholesome.

— david perloff, Pacific San Diego Magazine, "Blind Date: Fly boys take to the air," 28 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of rude

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin rudis; probably akin to Latin rudus rubble

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

rude Synonyms

Synonyms

artless, clumsy, crude, jerry-built, jerry-rigged, jury-rigged, rough, rough-and-ready, rough-and-tumble, rough-hewn, unrefined

Antonyms

refined

Related Words

defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect; imprecise, inexact; inartistic, undressed, unfinished, unpolished, unworked; amateur, amateurish, inexpert, unprofessional, unskilled, unskillful; primitive, rudimentary; unshaped, unshapen

Near Antonyms

faultless, finished, flawless, meticulous, perfect, perfected, polished, well-done; adept, adroit, dexterous (also dextrous), expert, masterful, masterly, neat, practiced (also practised), skillful, workmanlike; artful, artistic, sophisticated; exact, precise

Synonym Discussion of rude

rude, rough, crude, raw mean lacking in social refinement. rude implies ignorance of or indifference to good form; it may suggest intentional discourtesy.

- rude behavior

rough is likely to stress lack of polish and gentleness.

- rough manners

crude may apply to thought or behavior limited to the gross, the obvious, or the primitive.

- a crude joke

raw suggests being untested, inexperienced, or unfinished.

- turning raw youths into polished performers

RUDE Defined for English Language Learners

rude

adjective

Definition of rude for English Language Learners

: not having or showing concern or respect for the rights and feelings of other people : not polite
: relating to sex or other body functions in a way that offends others
: happening suddenly in usually an unpleasant or shocking way