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boorish

American  
[boor-ish] / ˈbʊər ɪʃ /

adjective

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

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

boorish British  
/ ˈbʊərɪʃ /

adjective

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

  • boorishly adverb
  • boorishness noun

Etymology

Origin of boorish

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You may find yourself pantomiming with one of your feet to your children in the persona of “Mr. Stinkyfoot,” a somewhat boorish Frenchman who espouses the importance of cleanliness and the needs for a bath.

From The Wall Street Journal

An exodus of prosecutors who didn’t care for his staff screaming sessions and boorish press conferences.

From Los Angeles Times

The boring — and boorish — parts of that humanity are on display in “Stereophonic,” where there is more control room conflict than actual music making.

From Los Angeles Times

I refer, of course, to the boorish crowd at the Ryder Cup—and the extended aftermath of the antisocial behavior witnessed at Bethpage Black last weekend.

From The Wall Street Journal

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