boorish

[boor-ish]

adjective

1. of or like a boor; unmannered; crude; insensitive.

   Synonyms: churlish, loutish, uncouth, coarse
   Antonyms: refined

boorish

/ ˈbʊərɪʃ /

adjective

1. ill-mannered, clumsy, or insensitive; rude

Other Word Forms

• boorishly adverb
• boorishness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of boorish¹

First recorded in 1555–65; boor + -ish ¹

Synonym Study

Boorish, oafish, rude, uncouth all describe persons, acts, manners, or mannerisms that violate in some way the generally accepted canons of polite, considerate behavior. Boorish, originally referring to behavior characteristic of an unlettered rustic or peasant, now implies a coarse and blatant lack of sensitivity to the feelings or values of others: a boorish refusal to acknowledge greetings. Oafish suggests slow-witted, loutlike, clumsy behavior: oafish table manners. Rude has the widest scope of meaning of these words; it suggests either purposefully impudent discourtesy or, less frequently, a rough crudity of appearance or manner: a rude remark; a rude thatched hut. Uncouth stresses most strongly in modern use a lack of good manners, whether arising from ignorance or brashness: uncouth laughter; an uncouth way of staring at strangers.

Example Sentences

John later confessed to being embarrassed by the lyrics’ brutishness, but there’s no denying the beastly honesty inherent in the boorish speaker’s wrath.

From Salon

President Putin slammed European powers for talking to Russia "in a boorish manner and with the help of ultimatums".

From BBC

It’s boorish and grating, assuming its audience will lap up whatever tasteless parody it puts out for them just because it aligns with popular films that share its basic themes.

From Salon

Not that you’d want to model the behavior of our boorish, foul-mouthed chief executive.

From Los Angeles Times

He is a boring, boorish grifter hell bent on declaring this the “Golden Age” of America by totally destroying it.

From Salon

Related Words

• barbaric 
• churlish 
• coarse 
• impolite 
• rude 
• tasteless 
• uncivilized 
• vulgar