churl

noun

ˈchər(-ə)l How to pronounce churl (audio)
Definition of churlnext
1
as in peasant
an awkward or simple person especially from a small town or the country as far as he was concerned, anyone from outside the city was a backwater churl

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
3
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others a churl who gets thrown out of parties with remarkable regularity

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  1. peasant
  2. miser
  3. jerk
  4. hick
  5. dog
  6. clown
  7. bumpkin
  8. yokel
Noun
  • In real life millions of peasants were deported, executed, or starved during collectivization.
    — Sophie Pinkham, The New York Review of Books, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Influential courtiers orbited more closely than those with less gravity, and peasants weren’t part of the picture.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of peasant
Noun
  • That hybrid badge therefore isn’t primarily about turning the 4Runner into a fuel miser.
    — Denver Post, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Well, everyone knows Ebenezer Scrooge was an evil, wealthy miser who hated Christmas.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of miser
Noun
  • From award-winning jerk pork wraps to classic rice and peas, every bite celebrates our heritage.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Bella’s childhood friend Angus (Jake Simmance), a corporate jerk, condescendingly probes Johnny about his career.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of jerk
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
Definition of hick
Noun
  • Which dog breeds tend to live the longest If longevity is the priority, a handful of smaller breeds routinely post the longest lifespans, according to breed data compiled by Reader’s Digest.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Much has been made of Winter’s idiosyncratic star power, and as an extremely tall, wet-dog-handsome instrumental virtuoso with a one-of-a-kind voice and just enough self-aware wit and lacerating lyricism to keep it relatable, that’s indisputable.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of dog
Noun
  • Jean pays tribute to the oversized trousers worn by rodeo clowns.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The gasoline shortage has become such a feature of daily life that even clowns at Moscow’s circus have cracked jokes about it.
    — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of clown
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
Definition of bumpkin
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
Definition of yokel

Browse Nearby Words

churchyards
churl
churlish
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Cite this Entry

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

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