ill-bred

adjective

ˈil-ˈbred How to pronounce ill-bred (audio)
Definition of ill-brednext
1
as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste the ill-bred habit of chewing with the mouth open

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rude
showing a lack of manners or consideration for others only an ill-bred, conceited person would demand that everyone cater to their whims

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-bred
  1. vulgar
  2. rude
  3. crass
  4. thoughtless
  5. common
  6. disrespectful
  7. coarse
  8. unmannerly
Adjective
  • But the school’s dress code prohibits messages that are lewd, indecent, vulgar or profane.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Lonnie is loud, obnoxious, and vulgar in ways that rankle traditional golfers.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • Neuqua Valley offensive lineman Max Schueneman received a rude welcome to varsity football.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Miss Manners does not consider this rude so much as ill-advised.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • To put it in its crassest terms, the story needs to come before the reporter.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a crass and charismatic oil executive who’s called upon to help save the world after his company nearly destroys it.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 July 2026
Definition of crass
Adjective
  • At the outset of this chatty novel, the protagonist, Caroline, who was recently ghosted by a thoughtless man, has had a story published in this magazine.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • That self-deprecating description opens Tony, writer-director Matt Johnson’s movie about the one crazy summer that changed a thoughtless young lout’s life; for good measure, the quote does double duty as the tagline on the film’s poster.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of thoughtless
Adjective
  • The most common type of vessel to travel through the strait was the product tanker, which typically transports refined petroleum products.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Medicaid was meant to provide health care to the vulnerable — a pregnant mother, a disabled father, a poor child — but the most common new enrollee of the past decade has been an able-bodied adult.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of common
Adjective
  • Prior to Happy Gilmore, McDonald rose to prominence as Thelma’s disrespectful husband Darryl in 1991’s Thelma & Louise.
    — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
  • Mention of women has also not been absent in the president’s disrespectful rants.
    — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2026
Definition of disrespectful
Adjective
  • As estrogen falls while testosterone continues circulating, once-fine facial hairs can become coarser and more noticeable.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Suddenly, her parents’ cheerful transparency—their coarse jokes, their eagerness to name things that should not be named—appeared to Nidhi in a faintly embarrassing light.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of coarse
Adjective
  • Criticizing gifts is unmannerly, and while one is not generally allowed to expect gifts, the rule can be bent in the case of romantic partners.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
Definition of unmannerly
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.

Browse Nearby Words

ill-boding
ill-bred
illegal
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Cite this Entry

“Ill-bred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-bred. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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