Definition of churlnext
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as in miser
a mean grasping person who is usually stingy with money don't bother asking for donations at that house—the churl who lives there believes that charity begins and ends at home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 churl But the cartoonish executive in Episode 1 will require a Grinch-like turnaround to become anything but a clownish churl. Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2022 Only a churl would lament the existence of these testaments to the out-of-nowhere potential of a great pop hit. Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churl
Noun
  • That is, until the teenage King Richard II’s counsel pushed for the peasant farmers to pay more tax.
    Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Christy star put a boho-chic spin on overalls, styling them with a cropped peasant blouse that featured frilly puff sleeves.
    Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Well, everyone knows Ebenezer Scrooge was an evil, wealthy miser who hated Christmas.
    Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 2026
  • But great writers and great mathematicians were able to overcome their inner cognitive miser and use these new technologies to great effect.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • According to children’s program manager Fedeline Julien, who has worked for Beaches since 1999, the area where Treasure Beach stands used to be dedicated to beach parties, team member residences, and the jerk truck.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In late August, Mayor Mamdani hosted a celebration of Caribbean culture at Gracie Mansion with plenty of patties and jerk chicken to go around.
    Reshma B, VIBE.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • When Johnson was vice president and visiting Europe, there were reports filed by these British ambassadors in several countries that basically made fun of him as a hick.
    Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
  • So a bunch of hicks from Topeka were left up to our own devices of going down to Robert Hall and finding something that might be kind of cool.
    Devon Ivie, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • My therapy dog and I accompanied grieving families to ground zero in the days following the attacks.
    Torie Bosch, STAT, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Above and below the main narrative of the Bayeux Tapestry are two strips filled with ancient beasts, including tail-chasing dogs and tightly knotted swans.
    John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Target recently received backlash for 'offensive' Halloween costume This comes on the heels of Target apologizing in late August for a Halloween circus clown costume that critics said appeared to conjure Blackface and 19th-century minstrel shows.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Cam Schlittler, no stranger to Boston beef, used an emoji to call Flemming a clown on an Instagram post.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Simply put, the small-town bumpkins from North Florida who support this idea should be made to pay for it.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Clifton loved motorcycles and, as Hawkins said, was a country bumpkin who loved nature.
    Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Kerry learned this the hard way after allowing Jordan to question what appeared to be a local yokel over the mysterious shooting at a Rushville high school football game.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026
  • It was left to the feds in Boston to arrest Farwell, after Meatball’s local yokels adamantly refused to do anything other than try to broom the crime by one of their own.
    Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Churl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churl. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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