adjective
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rude or surly
-
of or relating to peasants
-
miserly
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of churlish
Before 1000; Middle English cherlish, Old English ceorlisc. See churl, -ish 1
Explanation
A churlish person is one whose middle name might as well be Rude. He’s the one who was never taught to mind his manners and avoid telling vulgar jokes at the dinner table. Churlish has its origins in late Old English, but its modern-day meaning of “deliberately rude” developed in the 14th century. It’s a fitting adjective to describe boorish or surly behavior. It can also describe a material that is difficult to work with, such as hard wood that’s resistant to quick whittling. Our prolific pal Shakespeare coined the phrase, “as valiant as the lion, churlish as the bear.”
Vocabulary lists containing churlish
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8
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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.
But America’s been such an important country for us that to not turn up would’ve been churlish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
However, not wanting to be "churlish", Williams opted to carry on writing to Orme - something he has done ever since - for more than 20 years.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
A person would be churlish not to be moved by the two recipients’ stories Tuesday night, but awarding them what they’d earned in that venue marked the abuse of a great honor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
He crosses one flamboyantly shod foot over another on his desk with churlish satisfaction and takes a deep draw on his cigar.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2025
Seeing Hannie so happy I couldn’t stop the tiny, churlish, jealous voice inside me that asked why she never laughed like that with me any more.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
