Definition of boorishnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective boorish differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of boorish are churlish, clownish, and loutish. While all these words mean "uncouth in manners or appearance," boorish implies rudeness of manner due to insensitiveness to others' feelings and unwillingness to be agreeable.

a drunk's boorish behavior

When might churlish be a better fit than boorish?

While the synonyms churlish and boorish are close in meaning, churlish suggests surliness, unresponsiveness, and ungraciousness.

churlish remarks

When is it sensible to use clownish instead of boorish?

In some situations, the words clownish and boorish are roughly equivalent. However, clownish suggests ill-bred awkwardness, ignorance or stupidity, ungainliness, and often a propensity for absurd antics.

an adolescent's clownish conduct

When could loutish be used to replace boorish?

The words loutish and boorish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, loutish implies bodily awkwardness together with stupidity.

a loutish oaf

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of boorish The Brits are wonderful people, and those accents can cover a wide array of boorish behaviors. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Dec. 2025 Kimmel, like Stephen Colbert, went from acting as boorish right-wing caricatures to playing themselves — that is, liberals who dislike Trump and support vaccines. David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025 Depicting Americans as arrogant, loud, boorish and demeaning of other cultures, the term has stuck and is still mentioned 60-plus years later. Jenny Peters, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025 Lownie’s book chronicles other pretty outrageous, boorish behavior by Andrew, both in the company of his pedophile friend, the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein, and on his own. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for boorish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boorish
Adjective
  • Mays’ Salieri is at once aghast at such loutish behavior and bitterly envious that Mozart is exceptional enough to get away with it.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Vance’s tone was loutish in the distinctive, and tiresome, Trump way.
    Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Onscreen, Heathcliff has been represented over the years as a hunky-if-uncouth white man played by the likes of Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, and Ralph Fiennes.
    Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
  • An evening revue of wild, uncouth performance art by local artists, emphasizing work that is often discouraged elsewhere.
    Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Communism, in its traditional definition, describes a system in which private property is abolished and the means of production are collectively owned, with the goal of creating a classless society.
    Cameron Schoppa, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Louis Hartz maintained that the hegemony of liberal thought, with its vaunting of the classless individual, made Marxists politically superfluous.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Assuming this is something beyond Trumpian posturing, and that’s unclear, any such decision would not only be churlish and cruel but poorly targeted.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Kay hasn’t acted since before Marty was born, and Marty never breaks character — they were made for a churlish May-December affair that unlocks something in them both.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 1 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • He’s best known at this point either for playing the clownish Jack on Will & Grace or for being the relatively serious one of the three celebrity chatters on his podcast, Smartless.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Both McAdams and O’Brien play with their movie star personae but move beyond those expectations to deliver highly expressive, almost clownish performances — in the best way.
    Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • And to be perfectly fair, nervous gratuitous laughter at stupid jokes is not unknown among anyone, including the press corps.
    John Shipley, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Above all else, avoid the stupid mistakes that lead to injury, illness, and evacuation from the game.
    Kristen Geil, Outside, 24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Colt Gray sent grandmother concerning texts In her testimony, Polhamus reviewed several angry, vulgar text messages from Colt Gray that showed his spiraling mental health and penchant for outbursts.
    Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Brush was also behind an 1898 National League rule that prohibited indecent, vulgar or obscene language.
    Libby Cierzniak, IndyStar, 20 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Boorish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boorish. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.

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