churlish

adjective

ˈchər-lish How to pronounce churlish (audio)
Definition of churlishnext
as in boorish
having or showing crudely insensitive or impolite manners it would be churlish for any dinner guest to express anything but gratitude for his host's generous hospitality

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective churlish differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of churlish are boorish, clownish, and loutish. While all these words mean "uncouth in manners or appearance," churlish suggests surliness, unresponsiveness, and ungraciousness.

churlish remarks

When can boorish be used instead of churlish?

Although the words boorish and churlish 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

When might clownish be a better fit than churlish?

In some situations, the words clownish and churlish are roughly equivalent. However, clownish suggests ill-bred awkwardness, ignorance or stupidity, ungainliness, and often a propensity for absurd antics.

an adolescent's clownish conduct

In what contexts can loutish take the place of churlish?

The synonyms loutish and churlish are sometimes interchangeable, but loutish implies bodily awkwardness together with stupidity.

a loutish oaf

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 churlish But this churlish little spurt from his players? — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026 Most of that action is on the Democratic side and the sniping is getting downright churlish as we near the March 17 primary elections. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026 The pure of heart among you may recoil at the notion that anyone would sow brutish chaos, hurt vulnerable people and throw any semblance of democracy under the bus for a churlish, vicious distraction. — Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for churlish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churlish
  1. boorish
  2. uncouth
  3. loutish
  4. stupid
  5. clownish
  6. classless
  7. rude
  8. vulgar
Adjective
  • And in an age of boorish, brawling Little League Parents®, perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned from our new friends in the horn hats.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 June 2026
  • The doc goes on to note that, along with boorish audiences, record labels were also wary of Culture Club, even though their aesthetic was very much in the early Eighties new wave and pop mold.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2026
Definition of boorish
Adjective
  • An uncouth mix of stress and chlorine exposure recently left my skin simultaneously drier and more breakout-prone than it's been in quite a long time, and my usual routine of a quarter-size drop of skin tint just wasn’t cutting it anymore.
    — Sarah Hoffmann, Allure, 1 July 2026
  • And any expression otherwise is so taboo or deemed uncouth, and we aren’t allowed to talk about it in our art and media.
    — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 14 May 2026
Definition of uncouth
Adjective
  • And Trump’s domineering, loutish approach to women spoke to its adherents in a way that few, if any, of his rivals could match.
    — Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
  • The nation and the world have long since become accustomed to Trump’s loutish behavior, coarse vocabulary and disrespect for the dignity of his office and America’s reputation.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of loutish
Adjective
  • And no, that was NOT OutKick or FOX who wrote that stupid headline.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • The thing about House of the Dragon is that everything really is quite stupid.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of stupid
Adjective
  • Martin showed that even a clownish gentleman with a pure heart could woo someone like Tisha Campbell’s Gina.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
  • The Black characters that appeared on-screen closely resembled the clownish stereotypes popularized by the minstrels.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of clownish
Adjective
  • The harmful framing of women athletes as vulnerable and Black women athletes as overly aggressive and classless has been well-established across studies.
    — Lindsey Darvin, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The Avs did right by MacFarland in granting him permission to interview, unlike the petty and classless Golden Knights, who continue to hold former coach Bruce Cassidy hostage.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
Definition of classless
Adjective
  • Due Amici brings Brooklyn roots and authenticity, right down to the counter service that’s not rude but not exactly warm.
    — Peter St. Onge Updated June 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026
  • It’s widely considered rude and annoying when people cluster by the train doors if there are more people on the platform attempting to get on.
    — Claudia Fisher, Travel + Leisure, 15 June 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • Sean Goode, a former Canton police sergeant who was working the night of John O'Keefe's death and testified during the first Karen Read trial, allegedly sent dozens of vulgar text messages, according to an independent investigation.
    — Matt Schooley, CBS News, 29 June 2026
  • Others were removed early on for vulgar or inappropriate comments, according to a PGA Tour source with knowledge of the events, with five spectators in total ejected from the tournament with six holes to go.
    — Brody Miller, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Definition of vulgar

Browse Nearby Words

churl
churlish
churlishness
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Cite this Entry

“Churlish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churlish. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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