Definition of loutishnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective loutish differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of loutish are boorish, churlish, and clownish. While all these words mean "uncouth in manners or appearance," loutish implies bodily awkwardness together with stupidity.

a loutish oaf

When would boorish be a good substitute for loutish?

Although the words boorish and loutish have much in common, boorish implies rudeness of manner due to insensitiveness to others' feelings and unwillingness to be agreeable.

a drunk's boorish behavior

In what contexts can churlish take the place of loutish?

The words churlish and loutish can be used in similar contexts, but churlish suggests surliness, unresponsiveness, and ungraciousness.

churlish remarks

When could clownish be used to replace loutish?

The words clownish and loutish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, clownish suggests ill-bred awkwardness, ignorance or stupidity, ungainliness, and often a propensity for absurd antics.

an adolescent's clownish conduct

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 loutish This was like loutish English tourists turning up unannounced and urinating in the holy water. Tim Spiers, New York Times, 22 May 2025 Every great festival lineup needs an eccentric art-pop groundbreaker and some loutish guys who write anthems. Al Shipley, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024 Homer wasn’t fooling around: those who aid the beggar are rewarded, those who mistreat him—the loutish suitors who have long besieged Penelope—are killed. Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 22 Nov. 2024 Widowed waitress Yvette Yates Redick and misfit nine-year-old son Benjamin Steinhauser remain in mourning for the man of the house — a vacancy poorly filled by her loutish current boyfriend (Rob Mayes). Dennis Harvey, Variety, 23 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for loutish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loutish
Adjective
  • Entitled also makes a compelling case that Andrew is—to put it delicately—boorish and dim.
    Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
  • An exodus of prosecutors who didn’t care for his staff screaming sessions and boorish press conferences.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Trump's uncouth behavior barely rates a headline anymore, so frequent are the examples.
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
  • 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
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
  • 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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Loutish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loutish. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.

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