Word of the Day

: April 12, 2007

churlish

adjective CHUR-lish

What It Means

1 : of, resembling, or characteristic of a churl : vulgar

2 : marked by a lack of civility or graciousness : surly

3 : difficult to work with or deal with : intractable

churlish in Context

She was obviously very upset over losing the match, but that's no excuse for her churlish behavior toward her opponent.

Did You Know?

It is easy to understand how "churlish" has come to mean "vulgar," "surly," and "intractable" if you know your English history. In Anglo-Saxon England a churl, or ceorl, was a freeman of the lowest rank who owned and cultivated a small farm. He had certain rights and had the upward mobility to rise to the rank of thane. After the Norman Conquest, however, many churls became serfs, and the word "churl" eventually came to be used as a pejorative for a rude, ill-bred person.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.