rude

adjective

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\ ˈrüd

ruder; rudest

Definition of rude

1a : 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

Other Words from rude Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about rude

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web Langshaw said the call was inappropriate, rude and offensive. — Bob Sandrick, cleveland, "North Royalton City Council will charge Dan Langshaw over threatening call; Langshaw apologizes," 1 July 2020 Please remind your readers that asking these questions is rude. — Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, "Dear Abby: Grandma just wants ‘everyone to be happy’ about family wedding," 13 June 2020 Given this, your robotics rotation comes as a rude awakening: the entire da Vinci system—and therefore the entire procedure—can be controlled by one person at a time. — Matt Beane, Wired, "To Adapt to Tech, We're Heading Into the Shadows," 8 June 2020 As Sonja and Ramona are fully immersed in their tweedle-dee-tweedle-dum act — and being quite rude about Leah's sister, calling her a demon and a weirdo in a way that seems fully audible — half the table gets up to call this dinner short. — Jodi Walker, EW.com, "The Real Housewives of New York City recap: She threw a ravioli!," 5 June 2020 It would be considered rude to amplify the sound of you typing, have your phone ring in the background, or let kids screaming off-camera seep into the company meeting. — Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY, "Yes to the camera, no to the sweats: The do's and don'ts of video meetings," 1 June 2020 Since last year those writing rude things about King Maha Vajiralongkorn (pictured) or criticising the government have been targeted instead under laws on sedition, computer crimes or defamation. — The Economist, "Voice of treason The Thai government tries new ways to curb online critics," 6 June 2020 Short statements, in a deep, gruff voice, can be heard as controlling, dismissive, or rude, a sign of un-self-aware male privilege. — TheWeek, "Secret life of an anonymous speechwriter to the stars," 17 May 2020 He was accused of being rude to a visiting group of South Korean conglomerate chiefs later that year, appearing to rebuke them for not taking enough action to boost business development between the two sides. — Kanga Kong, Bloomberg.com, "North Korea Picks Army Man Who Led Korean Talks as Top Envoy," 8 May 2020

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.