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as in crude
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining rude pelts that were sent to Europe to be fashioned into elegant hats and coats

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective rude differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rude are crude, raw, and rough. While all these words mean "lacking in social refinement," rude implies ignorance of or indifference to good form; it may suggest intentional discourtesy.

rude behavior

Where would crude be a reasonable alternative to rude?

The words crude and rude are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, crude may apply to thought or behavior limited to the gross, the obvious, or the primitive.

a crude joke

When would raw be a good substitute for rude?

In some situations, the words raw and rude are roughly equivalent. However, raw suggests being untested, inexperienced, or unfinished.

turning raw youths into polished performers

When is rough a more appropriate choice than rude?

The synonyms rough and rude are sometimes interchangeable, but rough is likely to stress lack of polish and gentleness.

rough manners

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 rude For three long weeks that began to seem rude or impertinent, as if the Prize hadn’t been announced, as if a king and queen weren’t waiting for his answer, Dylan said nothing about the award. Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025 This recommendation is very specific to the NYC Marathon, which traditionally falls on the Sunday of that Daylight Saving Time ends—truly one of the rudest days to have anything time-sensitive, let alone a marathon. Kristen Geil, Outside, 27 Oct. 2025 According to Dakota, the sisters once had a tense encounter with a rude man that ended with the Complete Unknown star's drink all over him. Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025 It’s still considered rude, and people on both sides tend to feel bad about it, albeit in different ways. Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rude
Adjective
  • The White House, federal officials, conservative pundits and even some of his fans called the song disrespectful to law enforcement.
    Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 31 Oct. 2025
  • These rules are set to protect public health, ensure human remains are treated respectfully and prevent disrespectful acts on cemetery grounds.
    Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • What resulted is one of the most comic, counterproductive, and clumsy episodes in the long history of British efforts to deal with Ireland.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025
  • So, how did Musk go from a champion of the internet’s go-to reference resource to this clumsy attempt at killing it?
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Whether towing its matching trailer or not, the Elevance SUV is carefully designed for moving confidently from city streets to primitive stretches of off-road.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The study also explains why some primitive meteorites formed millions of years later than the first solid bodies in the solar system.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Each project presented at MIA is picked with a genuine desire for these works to come to the fore, not by crass commercial considerations.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Free speech covers the jokes, the satire, the parodies—even the dumb, crass, or offensive ones.
    Lizz Winstead, Time, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Ashley Johnson and star/executive producer Travis Willingham tee up what's coming for their soft barbarian lady.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Bailey plays half-elf ranger Vex, O’Brien is her twin brother Vax, Willingham is the lovable barbarian Grog, Johnson is the holy gnome cleric Pike, Jaffe is the royal gunslinger Percy, Ray is magical half-elf druid Keyleth and Riegel is the raunchy gnome bard Scanlan.
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • In fact, the term itself was an epithet throughout the founding era, a way to describe ignorant and easily deceived popular majorities, perpetually vulnerable to demagogues.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • International students are close to entirely ignorant of Canadian history and politics.
    Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Big Oil leaders Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and Shell continue to hike their crude oil production volumes from West Texas’s Permian Basin to the Gulf of Mexico to deepwater Guyana despite concerns of a rising global oil glut as OPEC nations keep exporting more barrels each month.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Burke gave the only 9 on a panel full of 10s, prompting the crude call out.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In 2014, he was found to have been discourteous and used force.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The main point is to avoid being discourteous of the people behind us by letting the door close in their respective faces.
    R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rude. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on rude

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